These are the chronological events that took place on January 17th, 2012 by the Occupy Movement. Starting at the Capitol building, then proceeding to the Rayburn House Office Building, marching up Constitution Ave. to the Supreme Court Building, and then back down ending at the White House. There were six arrests in this largely uneventful protest.
Then don't miss at about 7:30 there's a cop who rides up and says "if this is democracy I don't like it - this sucks."
Ray Lewis, a former captain with the Philadelphia Police Department, joins protesters with Occupy Congress rallying in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. Protesters staged a demonstration timed to coincide with the House's return to Washington from its holiday recess.
Lewis is the retired officer who joined in with Occupy Wall Street as NYPD raided Zuccotti Park for the first time last November, and was arrested during the protest that followed.
Eugene Davidovich, of Occupy San Diego conducted the interview with Lewis. Davidovich was one of the protesters kicked off the Greyhound bus in Amarillo while on his way to Occupy Congress.
Lewis was briefly detained by police on at the Capitol, but it was only to ensure that he was not carrying a gun with him, and he was then released.
Lewis discusses what inspired him to join the occupy movement, his thoughts on escalating police violence, as well as the threatening letters he has received from the Philadelphia Police Commissioner, and the Fraternal Order of Police. The retired captain gave those letters to the New York Times, and here's a look at what was in those documents:
The commissioner, Charles H. Ramsey, told Mr. Lewis in a letter dated Nov. 23, 2011 “to immediately cease and desist wearing, using or otherwise displaying any official Philadelphia Police Department uniform, badges or facsimiles thereof or any official departmental insignia.”
Mr. Ramsey continued, “Be advised that I am prepared to take any and all necessary actions to protect the honor and integrity of the Philadelphia Police Department.”
The letter from the Fraternal Order of Police informed “Brother Lewis” that the organization had received a grievance against him.
The motion, the letter said, was based on Mr. Lewis’s “comments and actions on or about Nov. 15-17, 2011, while dressed in a Philadelphia police captain’s uniform at the New York City Occupy Wall Street protest, which also resulted in his arrest.” It was signed by the organization’s recording secretary, Robert B. Ballentine.
Neither letter outlined any plan of action against Mr. Lewis, and it was unclear what action could be taken.
The New York Observer asked the Philadelphia Police, after the news report of the letters sent to Lewis, exactly when was it inappropriate for an officer to wear his uniform when not on active duty:
“It depends on the place, and it depends if citizens regard the officer as acting on behalf of law enforcement,” Lt. Evers told us over phone today.
“Even though Captain Lewis is a retired officer, every officer knows you have to be middle-road with anything. Some people might be okay with him wearing his uniform during the rally, and he certainly has the right to exercise his first amendment rights…but imagine how people would react if this was a Ku Klux Klan rally and an officer showed up supporting it in uniform. People would go crazy.”
Lt. Evers than advised us that the Ku Klux Klan example had been used in the Commissioner’s speach earlier this morning.
So there you have it: it’s up to the police officers arresting you if wearing your uniform while not on duty is illegal, but ethically, it’s equivalent to showing support of the Klan.
This was just uploaded to Youtube, and is just beginning to be mentioned on Twitter this evening. All I can tell you about the video is that the incident supposedly happened earlier Wednesday, and that as police attempt to arrest an occupier, he is pulled away from the officers and freed. "De-arrested" is what the occupier who posted the video calls it. Police seem to try to talk with the loudly protesting crowd of occupiers, but are met with chants of "Who do you serve? Who do you protect?" and "Show me what a police state looks like! This is what a police state looks like!"
The officers appear to be very unsure of how to handle the crowd - and perhaps a little afraid - and as the video runs out, they still don't seem to have a clue.
Rumors circulating on Tuesday night at Occupy Congress that the Greyhound bus driver who kicked occupy protesters bound for DC off a bus in Amarillo,Texas turned out to be inaccurate. The driver has been suspended pending an investigation by Greyhound.
A Greyhound Lines driver who ordered an Occupy protester off his bus at a weekend stop in Amarillo has been removed from duty while officials investigate, a company spokeswoman said Monday.
Greyhound officials are reviewing audio tape as part of their investigation into the incident Saturday night, when the veteran driver clashed with protesters traveling from San Diego to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress, company spokeswoman Jen Bittinger said Monday.
The Greyhound spokeswoman declined to identify the bus driver involved, however the above video identifies him as Don Ainsworth.
The occupiers were forced to spend the night at the bus terminal in Amarillo, but were on their way to DC early the following morning.
The Greyhound bus driver who kicked the occupy protesters off the bus in Amarillo (the Amarillo 13) has been fired by Greyhound, this is not verified, it's spreading throughout the festivities in D.C.
There is a report about smoke 'bombs' floating around various news sites that is greatly exaggerated, according to witnesses via livestream.
Right now there's a lot of music, singing, conversation, with a general festive atmosphere. Known on Twitter, as @LauraLoveMusic, she sang a beautiful rendition of "America the Beautiful."
The rain isn’t delaying the events of a long-planned protest, Occupy Congress, by members of the Occupy Wall Street movement. With an overwhelming general consensus that we are on the wrong track and that our “leaders” do not have our interests at heart, the occupiers met on Capitol Hill today for a day of events .
So far today, at least six protesters have been arrested, one while trying to jump a police barricade, during Tuesday morning’s Occupy Congress protest. Occupiers are planning protests inside House office buildings, including Cannon, Longworth and Rayburn, this afternoon.
Reports of fourteen death penalty activists arrested at the Supreme Court are not affiliated with the Occupy Congress event.
Earlier, some of the protesters were attempting to stage a guerilla theater in Senator Carl Levin's office, no word yet on how that turned out.
Occupation of the United States Capitol on January 17, 2012 will Highlight Corruption in America’s
Political System
Harnessing the considerable power of the Occupy Wall Street movement, protestors from all over the country are being called to participate in "Occupy Congress" next week. It is the next stage in the widespread public protest that began last September in New York.
On January 17th, an Occupy "Call to Action" urges protestors to convene beginning at 9 a.m. EST on the West Front Lawn at Capitol Hill in an effort to bring the movement's message to the doorstep of Congressional lawmakers.
Rallying against corporate greed and corruption, the "99 percent" will arrive on Martin Luther King's birthday weekend to participate in a day of organized protests. According to the Occupy Congress website, the day's activities will include Teach-ins, an Open Mic, a Multi-Occupation General Assembly, Idea Sharing Sessions, and a DC Voting Rights Vigil. The day will end with an "OCCUParty."
