Occupy Wall Street was able to protest.
Until the NYPD and private police beat us and stole our stuff.
Did you check out those videos? It was a war zone.
Mainstream media mostly ignored them.
Occupy Wall Street spent MANY months protesting, not on public land, but in a privately owned park.
The eviction was illegaly carried out. There was an injuntcion in effect at the time. Also, Zucotti Park is a privately owned public park.
Yes, eventually, the local city government and owner of the land on which they were camped, got them to move but it took months.
The Occupy Wall Street movement fell apart as much due to their own disorganized, needing consensus oragnizatiol structure as due to the City of New York and the owner of that park wanting them to go.
But, Occupy Wall Street can still print a newspaper, post on websites, and get interviewed on US TV shows. That proves that they have freedom to publicly share their political opinions. They just cannot continue to camp out on private property.
In which other country could a group like Occupy Wall Street continue to camp out for that long and protest? In Cuba? North Korea? France? UK?
What you're saying is true, but a willingness to accept toned-down war crimes shouldn't be a point of pride, don't you think? The rejection of private property is a valid stance.
The fact of the matter is, Occupy Wall Street is a terrible example, but even they were not sure what they were protesting about. Like I said, Occupy Wall Street imploded as much due to their own lack of specific message and lack of organization as due to a local government and a property owner wanting them to go away.
In any case, the occupy wallstreet movement is an extension of the Rainbow Gathering, and the Rainbow gathering still has a yearly event where over 20,000 people meet in a National Forrest, smoke cannabis and do whatever they do, and it is permitted.
Sorry, but in the USA, you can say whatever you want, but often no one cares and no one will listen.
The USA has many problems, but not as many as most other places in the world.
I totally agree, my privelige of being in the USA is materially enormous.
Being less oppressive than horiffically oppressive places is neat, but still wholly unacceptable.
Each person knew why they were at OWS.
When I was at last year's rainbow gathering I saw several people were arrested for smoking weed.
@puffpuffpass- Is the blatant off topic-ness in this post cool with you?
