Dear Johan (OUG),

They had over six days to "protest."
Which by any one's terms was a fair run.
However, when you set up "tent-city,"
and a "squatter's camp," in the middle of
the city's public square for six days. When
you break Council ordinances by continue to
cook and make a mess in general - as well as
sit in the middle of an inter-section and refuse to
move - then of course
someone is going to pull you up on it.
Freedom to protest is one thing but to willfully
do damage to public property - stink up the place,
hinder traffic, et cetera - is something else.
A graffitti artist may feel that they're entitled
to "freedom of expression," when they decide to
de-face somebody's property. And you may not object
if they did it to your brand new fence. I though
would be mad as hell and demand they clean it up
(if I could catch them, that is).

Arjay,
I know you want this to be real but it isn't.

Another "blast from the past" has popped up as a spokesman for Occupy Sydney,Tim Davis-Frank.
Last I heard Tim was a High School economics teacher (the mind boggles as to what brand of economics he might be teaching), he's also well known for his troubles with the law in relation to violent disorder at the Melbourne G20 rallies.
Now come on folks, this is just getting a bit silly, this character is nothing but a provocateur who goes around hijacking Anti Globalist protests with violence and disorder. There are some pretty wild allegations about the so called "Arterial Bloc", of which Tim was a part, the links to the Legal Centres,Trades Hall and the Don Chipp Foundation, all these State actors.
The facilitators of these protests are as we say "suss", they're Rent A Crowd provocateurs,I'd like to know more about who's renting the crowd.

I'm a bit puzzled by the suggestion that any of the 'Occupy [insert place name here]' events have been 'successful'. What have they achieved? What will actually change as a result of these protests? What did the protesters actually HOPE to achieve? What solutions have they put forward, and who has listened to them?

As for the removal of the protesters in Melbourne, I guess the inner right-winger comes out in me when I see the footage. What would you have our police do? Stand there with megaphones and tell the protesters that they're 'being very naughty'? If the protesters were unaware that they were breaking the law by continuing to squat after the service of an eviction notice, then they're either very stupid or don't speak English. If they were unaware that they were breaking the law by refusing to follow police directions, then they're either very stupid or just plain ignorant.

I've lived in an oppressive regime and, elsewhere, seen police brutality. If we're seriously calling that either oppression or brutality, then God help us when we actually have something to whinge about.

*What have they achieved?*

Well Oto, they got to play their bongo drums and play their guitars.
More like a festival really. Time to catch up with friends etc and
perhaps more entertaining then what was on telly.

CNN did a bit of a story on the New York one and interviewed quite
a few of the people there. Everyone had their own little pet hate
for being there, some of them quite personal things in their
lives. I guess it was a lovely day or two out, getting their
frustrations off their chest.

You'll probably see a similar crowd with similar faces at the next
demo. Some people just love to go to them, its a social event.

Lexi unfortunately we live in a world that sees news and comment in control.
Not always balanced,and not always true.
News and comment,even ours here are free.
Even disk Jockeys and for that matter news readers and Celebrity's, make comments on every thing.
And far too many judge the issue ,on those comments.
Here, lets look, detractors tell us the crowds are all loony Lefty's or drop outs.
And the case they make, that 99% pay for the crimes of 1% are unfounded.
That forgets, or conveniently over looks, normal tax payers bailed out banks across the world.
It ignores profits are privatized, debt Socialized.
We if we research, could post the history of failed/fraudulent/criminal / investment losses.
Some one should do it, let the list be the only sing with a question mark under it.
Right now, we should consider every idea put forward in the last twenty years,to benefit humanity.
Any look will show we let our selves be used.
We see not the issue but what side of politics we stand on.
DIVIDE AND ? how does it go? Conquer.
Media/comment/self interest/ is in control not rational thought.
Far worse! horrifyingly! we are about to be told Europes trouble are over.
I think if that ever happened, if it was fixed, it would be, every cent, at cost to the 99%
With help, from others in that group blind to reality ever willing to kick those thinking outside the small box they live in.

Belly,
Every idea? I wonder...
Open or porous borders are of no benefit to humanity as a whole, a true anti globalist or Alter Mondialist cannot support massive Third World population movement and relocation of labour let alone the cherry picking of the best and brightest technicians, doctors and scientists from the undeveloped countries.
Regionalism, protectionism and ethnocentrism are in the interests of all humankind, you've correctly identified the "divide and conquer" tactics of the elite and the atomisation of society, are you saying you'd support a reactionary response to those very real concerns?
We'd need to end transnational migration, close all borders to the West, end free trade, disband the U.N, World Bank, IMF and all other structures of the Empire, make usury a crime and demand loyalty to the revolution from our friends and neighbours....well I'm up for it, are you?