from Revolution News
New York, NY — 3,000 people dressed in blue between Exchange Place and The Bull in Manhattan’s financial district, sitting down to interrupt the business day, targeting corporations and business financing, the fuel of the climate crisis. Events literally lasted all day long with a Direct Action training in the morning a march to the financial district in the early afternoon and a Sit-In that blocked Broadway in the heart of Manhattan for around 10 hours. An officer with the NYPD communications team said 102 protesters were arrested in the evening event at Wall St. and two more protesters were arrested earlier in the day — bringing the total arrested to 104.
Approximately 2,000 people blocked the street next to the Wall Street bull in NYC today during #FloodWallStreet. pic.twitter.com/fhFMTuWa8l
— Jenna Pope (@JennaBPope) September 23, 2014
VIDEO: Police pepper sprayed #FloodWallStreet protesters. via @ajplus https://t.co/IDOU6cAKBs — Rachael P (@plussone) September 22, 2014
“Communities that are first and most impacted by storms, floods and droughts are also on the frontlines of fighting the dig-burn-dump economy causing climate change,” said Michael Leon Guerrero of the Climate Justice Alliance. “We are flooding Wall Street to stop its financing of planetary destruction, and to make way for living economies that benefit people and the planet.”
“Many of us were also involved with Occupy Wall Street,” said Michael Premo, an organizer of Flood Wall Street and a Brooklyn-based artist. “Just like the financial crisis, the climate crisis is a product of an underlying political crisis. It’s the result of policies that serve the shortsighted interests of the few over the survival and well being of everyone.”
Respect our mother. #FloodWallStreet pic.twitter.com/j0E4Yo4GAq |#DestroyCorporatePower | #IndigenousPeoples pic via @lrallen @dravazed — Revolution News (@NewsRevo) September 22, 2014
Yesterday’s historic 400,000-person march showed widespread support for action on climate change, and Flood Wall Street is confronting those who stand in the way of change and connecting the climate movement with a long tradition of nonviolent direct action. “Throughout history, people have engaged in nonviolent civil disobedience in response to moral crises, when political leaders have failed to act,” said Vida James, a Flood Wall Street organizer. “What could constitute more of a moral crisis than the health and survival of our planet, our communities, and our grandchildren?”
Art, music, and giant visuals are prominent features of the festive demonstration, beginning the day with the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, a local activist marching band. Nearly a hundred people carried a 300-foot banner that read: “Capitalism = Climate Chaos — Flood Wall Street,” among many other visuals. The day began with speakers from around the world that have been impacted by climate change, emphasizing that leadership on climate justice must come from below. “The real solution to global warming is organizing workers worldwide for the construction of a new model, with justice, equality and respect for life,” said Elisa Estronioli, a Brazilian land-rights activist. More updates coming.
Photo from @LiborVS:
BREAKING! #NYPD is pepper-spraying, beating and arresting people including their own, on #WallStreet #FloodWallStreet pic.twitter.com/0ouGHvIRGy
Photo from @MrNikoG :
@_IWW @IWW_News @The_IWW @GlobalRevLive #FloodWallStreet #FTP #ACAB #myNYPD pic.twitter.com/yOnPFzXLh9
Some tweets from yesterday:
Just minutes ago: Cops holding barricades back as protesters try to get to Wall Street. #FloodWallStreet pic.twitter.com/sUOV4NKVkj — Jenna Pope (@JennaBPope) September 22, 2014
#FloodWallStreet effectively shut #WallStreet as scuffle and fight at Broadway pic.twitter.com/Vseu8uF4NS — john zangas (@johnzangas) September 22, 2014
60 holding down intersection Broadway & Wall Street may be arrested #FloodWallStreet pic.twitter.com/p0zJ91kJa6 LIVE http://t.co/M3nQ4AQPXQ — Revolution News (@NewsRevo) September 22, 2014
#DOCUMENT!! RT @visiitor: The officer who broke out the pepper spray at people at the barracades. #FloodWallStreet pic.twitter.com/7PATHYtQRF — #OccupyYourself (@Occupy_Yourself) September 22, 2014
#NYPD has just arrested 2 women dressed as Captain Planet and a polar bear at #FloodWallStreet pic.twitter.com/oU3oOpgSf5 via @exiledsurfer — Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) September 22, 2014
NOW: Polar bear seeks refuge from melting arctic, gets arrested at #FloodWallStreet pic.twitter.com/5UhCx9wldX
— #FloodWallStreet (@FloodWallStreet) September 22, 2014
#FloodWallStreet arrestees slowly being loaded into police van. pic.twitter.com/SDot3FBwDz — ѕyndιcalιѕт (@syndicalisms) September 22, 2014
Multiple people are being arrested at once now. #FloodWallStreet pic.twitter.com/XXDskvJH7d — ѕyndιcalιѕт (@syndicalisms) September 22, 2014
John of @TheIndypendent arrested. Bus is full. #FloodWallStreet pic.twitter.com/yvxQjejdYd — Keegan Stephan (@KeeganNYC) September 22, 2014