Occupy Wall Street Violence And Arrests Continue To Escalate

(Reuters) - New York police prevented protesters from shutting down Wall Street on Thursday, arresting more than 200 people in repeated clashes with an unexpectedly small but spirited Occupy Wall Street rally.

Protesters took to the streets in rainy New York and cities across the United States for a day of action seen as a test of the momentum of the two-month-old grass-roots movement against economic inequality.

Organizers and city officials had expected tens of thousands to turn out for a demonstration following the New York police raid that broke up the protesters' encampment in a park near Wall Street on Tuesday.

A crowd that disappointed organizers throughout the day grew to several thousand after the standard workday ended and labor union activists joined a march across the Brooklyn Bridge, where last month more than 700 people were arrested during a similar march.

"We certainly want to see more people mobilize and show up," said Occupy Wall Street spokesman Jeff Smith, who nevertheless said there was "a fantastic turnout."

After tempers among police and protesters flared throughout the day, crowds grew larger and more festive after dark.

"This is a great night for a revolution. I've never seen anything like this in my entire life," said Daniel Reynolds, 34, a financial analyst at a venture capital firm who joined the protests for the first time on Thursday.

Many protesters complained of police brutality, pointing to one media image of man whose face was bloodied during his arrest and another of a woman who was dragged across the sidewalk by an officer.

Police reported seven officers were injured, including one whose hand was cut by a flying piece of glass and five who were hit in the face by a liquid believed to be vinegar.

Police barricaded the narrow streets around Wall Street, home to the New York Stock Exchange, and used batons to push protesters onto the sidewalk as they marched through the area to try and prevent financial workers getting to their desks.

Workers were allowed past barricades with identification and the New York Stock Exchange opened on time and operated normally.

Protesters banged drums and yelled "We are the 99 percent" -- referring to their contention that the U.S. political system benefits only the richest 1 percent.

At the Union Square subway stop, one of the busiest in the city, protesters tried to crowd the entrance but police repeatedly moved them against the walls to make way for subway riders.

PROTESTS ACROSS U.S.

Demonstrators targeted bridges they considered in disrepair in cities such as Miami, Detroit and Boston to highlight what they said was the need for government spending on infrastructure projects to create jobs.

In St. Louis, more than 1,000 protesters marched through downtown in support of the Occupy St. Louis movement which was evicted last week from its campsite near the Gateway Arch. The Thursday march was by far the largest since Occupy St. Louis began in support of the New York demonstrators.

In Los Angeles, hundreds of anti-Wall Street demonstrators blocked a downtown street, snarling traffic on surrounding freeways, before police moved in and arrested 23 people.

At least 300 people gathered at Chicago's Thompson Center, giving speeches in English and Spanish. The protest was focused on jobs with signs reading "We need jobs, not cuts" and "Jobs, schools, equality: end the wars."

The Washington, D.C., gathering was smaller than hoped for by organizers. One protester in McPherson Square said he expected about 1,000 people while perhaps 200 showed up, with many leaving within the hour.

About 100 marched through downtown Denver, chanting slogans and calling for the recall of Mayor Michael Hancock for his decision to have police remove illegally pitched tents and other items from the Occupy Denver campsite last weekend.

In Dallas more than a dozen people were arrested when police shut down their six-week-old camp near City Hall.

Before dawn on Thursday, police cleared away a protest camp from a plaza at the University of California, Berkeley, where 5,000 people had gathered on Tuesday night.

Protesters say they are upset that billions of dollars in bailouts given to banks during the recession allowed a return to huge profits while average Americans have had no relief from high unemployment and a struggling economy.

They also say the richest 1 percent of Americans do not pay their fair share of taxes.

(Additional reporting by Sharon Reich in New York, Deborah Charles in Washington, Mary Wisniewski in Chicago, Keith Coffman in Denver, Bruce Nichols in Houston, Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles, Laird Harrison in Oakland and Jim Forsyth in San Antonio; Writing by Michelle Nichols and Daniel Trotta; editing by Doina Chiacu and Eric Walsh)

Comment:

Well, ZOG may have won this round, but as you read, the war is by far from over. Even though the number of participants was less than the city expected, the OWS leaders were extremely pleased with the turnout.
I'm very glad to see that many of those who still have jobs turned out after work to give their support, rather than going home and having a beer and watching the idiot box, which is what the majority still do.

The following are the most common excuses for NOT getting involved and my response to each.

"I could get arrested." No pain, no gain.

"It won't make any difference." Not with that attitude it won't.

"I worked all day. I'm tired." Lazy.

"I have a family." Isn't that one of the things this movement is all about?

"I could get hurt." No guts.

"I don't have the time." MAKE THE TIME!

"I can't afford to go." How much does it cost? A couple of bucks? Times are tough, but don't be cheap.

Still, even with all the excuse makers, it's very gratifying to see this movement spread and grow despite the government's totalitarian efforts to suppress it.

Also, the government's reactions are EXACTLY as we predicted, although it doesn't take a clairvoyant to see that.

What's next? Comrades, we are in a war right here at home. As things continue to escalate, which war has a tendency to do, we can expect ZOG to start pulling out the big guns next. By that I mean the National Guard. If things keep going the way they are, that's a given. The only question is: When? The answer: That depends on the rate of escalation. As city leaders have said, they don't want to look like they're going in for "overkill" - yet. But it's only a matter of time.

When it does happen, it will become a period of "sudden death" for the movement. Will the people tuck in their tails and retreat, or will they continue to escalate things? Only time will tell.

As I've said previously, unless more people are willing to make a stand, OWS will lose eventually. Everyone is needed. Comrades, let's do it!

Dan 88!