OntheWilderSide

(And, of utmost importance, be sure to go into NYC this Thursday, Nov 17th. We are going to occupy the whole city! Info at OccupyWallSt: here. Long Islanders will meet at the LI Waiting Room of Penn Station at 3:30pm Thursday.)

(Court Update from The Guardian:” 2.02pm: The supreme court hearing has now finished, and the judge has promised a ruling at 3pm”)

For Immediate Release: 11/15/2011

Eviction of Wall Street Occupation Exposes Mayor’s Corporate Collusion, Says Green Party

NEW YORK–The Green Party continues to stand with the nationwide Occupation movement, in the face of the NYPD’s raid on the Wall Street encampment in Zuccotti Park during the early hours of the morning.

As the NYPD violates a judge’s restraining order allowing Occupiers back into Zuccotti Park with their tents and equipment, one thing remains clear: despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s persistent reputation as an “independent” mayor, his actions today have irrevocably demonstrated his collusion with the 1% and corporations that have wrecked the economy and threaten the world with climate catastrophe.

“‘Mayor One Percent’ can personally install bike lanes from now until the end of his ill-gotten 3rd term, and he will still never live this down,” said Michael O’Neil, member of the Green Party NYC Committee. “He is the NYC mayor who attempted to thwart the most dynamic, spirited movement for economic justice of our time. The 99% will not forget.”

Peter LaVenia, Co-Chair of the Green Party New York State, sees the eviction as highlighting the need to break from corporate politics. “The actions of Bloomberg and other mayors around the country to protect the criminal enterprises of Wall Street illustrate that, whether Democrat, Republican, or independent, the 99% cannot afford politicians bound to corporate money. That is why Greens have always refused corporate donations and call for an electoral system where you don’t have to be a billionaire, or in the pocket of one, to compete for office.”

Greens have supported the Occupation movement in New York City and across the country with their resources and time, coordinating donations and assisting services such as laundry for the Zuccotti encampment. A Fordham University poll reported that more than one in ten Occupiers at Zuccotti Park identified as registered Greens.

“This is just getting started,” said O’Neil, who marched in the Green Party contingent with Occupy Brooklyn this past Saturday, “we look forward to the Wall Street actions on the 17th and the strengthening of this movement everywhere.”

### end Green Party statement

______________________________

New York Civil Liberties Union
125 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004
www.nyclu.org

CONTACT:
Jennifer Carnig
jcarnig AT nyclu DOT org

NYCLU: Eviction of Protesters from Zuccotti Park Endangers Public Safety

For Immediate Release

November 15, 2011 — In response to this morning’s expulsion of Occupy Wall Street protesters from Zuccotti Park, New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman issued the following statement:

“The eviction of protesters from Zuccotti Park was not about public health. Rousting hundreds of peaceful protesters from their tents in the dead of night amid a media blackout doesn’t promote public safety – it endangers it.

The NYCLU has a team of legal observers monitoring today’s events. We will work to ensure that police are held accountable for any misconduct. By all indication, the Occupy Wall Street protests will continue for some time, and we expect the NYPD to adapt its practices to accommodate protest.”

The NYCLU has protest monitors across Lower Manhattan, from Zuccotti Park to Duarte Square, and is monitoring the situation as it unfolds. Live updates are being posted on the NYCLU’s Twitter feed, twitter.com/nyclu. The organization is urging its 50,000 members to raise their voices and call 311 to complain that the NYPD is unlawfully blocking access to Zuccotti Park. We’re also asking protesters to share their stories and experiences with police via email at protest@nyclu.org<mailto:protest@nyclu.org>.

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Filed under: activism, grassroots democracy, green, Green Party, local, long island, new york, New York State Politics, News, politics, progressive politics, social & economic justice Tagged: | aclu, Bloomberg, court, Donna Lieberman, Green Party of New York State, Green Party of NY, Liberty Square, Mayor Bloomberg, NY politics, nyc news, nyc ppolitics, NYCLU, Occupy Wall Street, Zucotti Park