EMAIL SIGN UP!
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
50 Occupy Wall Street Protesters Arrested After Scaling Trinity Church Fence in New York
Demonstrators including members of clergy held after trying to scale church car park fence in New York
More than 50 anti-Wall Street protesters have been arrested after they tried to climb over a fence around a church car park to establish a new encampment.
A retired bishop joins Occupy Wall Street protesters in climbing a fence. (Photograph: Andrew Burton/Reuters) The demonstrators used a wooden ladder to scale the chain-link fence and enter the car park owned by Trinity Church, an Occupy Wall Street spokesman said.
Police could not immediately say how many people were held, but Gideon Oliver, president of the New York City chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, put the number at about 55, including between five and 10 clergy.
The remaining demonstrators marched through Manhattan on Saturday towards the house of the Trinity Church rector, but were turned away by police.
Later, as they started to move toward midtown, some of the demonstrators were hemmed in by lines of police and police on motorcycles tried to disperse protesters who were in the middle of streets.
"We are unstoppable. Another world is possible," and "Whose street? Our street," were among the chants from the protesters, who blocked some streets as they marched.
The remainder of the group, several dozen protesters, held signs in Times Square into the evening.
The Occupy movement began with protesters taking over a park in New York in September to draw attention to economic inequality and a financial system they say is unfairly skewed toward the wealthy.
Protests and encampments spread to cities throughout the US as well as abroad.
Occupy camps in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and a number of other cities have been shut down in recent weeks in operations that resulted in hundreds of arrests and raised questions about the movement's future.
Authorities have justified their moves against the camps on a variety of grounds, including sanitation and public safety.
- Posted in
Comments
Note: Disqus 2012 is best viewed on an up to date browser. Click here for information. Instructions for how to sign up to comment can be viewed here. Our Comment Policy can be viewed here. Please follow the guidelines. Note to Readers: Spam Filter May Capture Legitimate Comments...
27 Comments so far
Show AllClimbing a fence is obviously trespassing on private property. I think the arrests were justified.
Yes; the sanctity of private property!
Extrajudicial Executions are clearly murder; therefore the execution( I am a pacifist against killing) of OilyBomber is justified.
Fasten your seat belts sweetheart. There are those that have and there are those that have not...it is getting worse and those gated communities are next.
There are no fences high enough.
Fences keep out nothing
And they hold in nothing
They are broken by time and by nature.
They are besieged by hunters
Undone by gravity
And are sabotaged by Elves.
( And there is no formating for paragraphs on CD.) :-(
try to put /p between < >
put either br or p inside <>, repeat, and you're done.
drop it as a clipping on your desktop and drag it in as needed.
The last sentence really translates to this:
"Sanition" and "safety" nets for the 1%s but no guarantee of sanity or safety nets for the 99%.
Kudos to the protesters especially the retired bishop who had the heart and courage to join the movement !
So what is the point of occupying a church? Is it a statement against Christianity? Are they trying to stop the Sunday services? Is the rector of Trinity church an oppressor of the poor?
Does anybody know?
Posted at http://occupywallst.org/article/letter-council-elders-trinity-church/
December 16, 2011
Dear Rev. Dr. James Cooper,
We are veterans of the Civil Rights, Women’s, Peace, Environmental, LGBTQ, Immigrant Justice, labor rights and other movements of the last 60 years. Many of us have been or continue to be leaders of religious congregations and organizations, so we are deeply understanding of the need to protect the spaces and buildings that generations of the faithful have transmitted to us.
We are also deeply committed to using the share of God’s abundance that has been entrusted to us for the help and healing of those “least of these” – the poor, the humiliated, the hungry, the homeless, the dis-empowered – whom God has called us to protect.
We have special understandings of both of those commitments because as leaders of the social-change movements of the 20th century we have been called to deploy resources for the sake of racial and social justice and the cause of peace. Today we see the Occupy movement as efforts by a new generation of (mostly young) people to move forward as we did toward fuller justice and democracy for the diverse peoples in our nation.
We are concerned to hear that Occupy Wall Street has asked Trinity Church for use of the Lent-Space on 6th and Canal to gather, and has been refused.
We are especially moved to hear that the Episcopal Cathedral of Boston has invited the Occupy movement there to gather in its space.
We know that some question the need for Occupy to continue to occupy physical space but we have witnessed the impact of communal, inspirational, face-to-face contact in which people can be visible to the world and to one another. We have also been challenged to respond to the question from Occupy, Where can you go if you don’t own something? Does a public even exist if it has no space? And finally, like visionaries before them, many Occupiers have chosen to give up everything to invest in a future that does not exist except in their dreams and visions. In a world where the majority of our nation is oppressed by economic and racial inequality, experiencing isolation and dehumanization at every turn, the Occupy movement in its public presence has provided hope and purpose and a pressing challenge to us all.
We urge you to reexamine the possibilities in the light of the importance of Occupy Wall Street as a spark of God’s “Burning Bush” in this moment of deep social crisis. We urge you to approve the use of this sacred space for a sacred purpose – the pursuit of justice in America.
With blessings,
Organizing Committee
Council of Elders
cc Vestry Members
Trinity Church is also in the commercial real estate business.
WTF is THAT all about?
Not only is Trinity Church in the commercial real estate business, but from what I've read, Trinity Church is one of the largest holders of real estate in NYC.
Tax exempt!?
On this subject, so far, I haven't read a determination. The church certainly seems proud to associate itself with Wall Street. Here's a link to their real estate page on their website:
http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/about/real-estate
Would Jesus have to climb that fence?
No doubt whatsoever
So because the church rejected the Occupy movement's request to use their land, they go and trespass anyway? I think the Occupy movement has a lot of merit and should have an open space to meet, but you can't just take over private property because you feel it will best benefit your movement. This will only alienate more people against your cause. The church did provide the movement with some of their services, so that they can have meetings, but the movement wanted more, so instead of continuing negotations or trying to find another space, they decided to just take it. Occupying parks and public spaces is one thing that I agree with, but trying to occupy private property is a road that just turns ugly. How would you like it if a group of people decided to just occupy your house because it was in their best interest? The NRA, ACLU, Occupy Wall Street, the Koch Brothers, etc...No one would like that, so the Occupy movement should respect the church's right to do what they want with their private property and try to find some other place to meet. There are a lot sympathizers in NYC that would be happy to help them. I have no doubt that the perseverance of the Occupy movement will find an open meeting place in the near future, where they can set up camp and continue their moral crusade. Good luck 99ers!!!
"So because the church rejected the Occupy movement's request to use their land, they go and trespass anyway?"
Your question goes much deeper than your subsequent commentary. As Kay Johnson posted above, Trinty Church is one of the largest commercial real estate entities in Manhattan, as they themselves are quite proud of and mention on the website, to quote:
"Trinity Church and real estate go together in many people's minds, with good reason. As one of the largest landholders in Manhattan, the revenue from Trinity's real-estate holdings makes the parish’s mission and work in New York and throughout the world possible."
The site goes on to mention the original land grand from the English Monarchy, beginning in 1697, and expanded in 1705 by Queen Anne to 215 acres. So when we hold these "private property rights uber alles" attitudes, we are granting false legitamacy to the devine rights of kings (or queens) to grant these holdings in the first place. Hasn't the time come to question the very notions of wealth, its sources, and its continuing power to accelerate this globe towards climate catastrophe? And that hasn't even touched yet on the fact that this real estate giant is hiding behind a mask of tax-exemption and the so-called "word of God."
"So because the church rejected the Occupy movement's request to use their land, they go and trespass anyway?"
YES. It's a fucking church - teachings of Christ, blessed be the poor, and all that? All the religious entities should be at the FRONT of the social upheavals against the rich.
This one sure isn't, and it's especially involved in the real estate business.
---"So because the church rejected the Occupy movement's request to use their land, they go and trespass anyway?"---
Jeesus fucking Christ! PROPERTY IS THEFT! OK? Jesus himself despised the rich and particularly the non-separation of church-and-capital.
And NO, the the property of a powerful capitalist is NOT in ANY WAY comparable to, nor due the kind of respect for, the abode and personal belongings of a working class person. And, in fact, what we call "trespassing" in the US is perfectly legal, as long as it does not involve the violation of privacy, in more enlightened places like Sweden and Norway.
No offense, titus23, but your point of view boils down to, "Regardless of the circumstances, there's just no excuse for civil disobedience!"
Trinity has an attached carpark?
Last time I was there all they had was the graveyard/garden and seating areas. ( and nice it is too on a hot day, being one of the few cool and free places to rest in the whole of downtown )
IOW, where is this carpark? The way the article is written implies that it is the actual church grounds that were being entered.
After doing some reading elsewhere I find that it's not the church grounds that people were evicted from but a vacant lot on Canal Street. Just doesn't have teh same journalistic pull does it.
If Trinity is not paying taxes on the land it should be open to the public.
"Property is theft" - Proudhon
When it comes to Christianity versus capitalism, the world knows which side Trinity Church has chosen.
There is a reason that Jesus was crucified. The same reason that OWS were arrested.
House of god=den of thieves?
heddwch
nadolig lawen a blwyddyn newydd dda
The only places where church tax exempt status is threatened is if there is a minister who speaks in any way about peace, or corruption in high places, or donates to anti-war charities or movements. The IRS is on them like flies on a cow pie. I imagine the same thing will happen if OWS is actively aided by them.
Churches have no right to preach and demonstrate the teachings of Christ. That is anti-government propaganda and will be dealt with summarily.
I guess we are all supposed to just accept that if we are going to live in a fascist nation.
Heil Oligarchy!
You don’t need to be religious to understand -and embrace- the idea that "Whatsoever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." But the 1%, in their blind greed and schemes, have forgotten and closed their eyes to what the word "society" should really mean. Because of Occupy Wall Street, we are finally talking less about CUTS and more about BLEEDING. Instead of demanding m-o-r-e budget cuts -to be borne by the middle class and poor- we are FINALLY focusing on the shameful bleeding that the poor and middle class has endured for all too long. Instead of talking about even m-o-r-e cuts in the taxes of millionaires....we are now talking about fairness and justice - about an economy and a political system that is increasingly run for the rich, and by the rich. Instead of talking about LESS government, we are talking about a government that WORKS FOR ALL OF US, not just a favored few. Thank you OWS, for reminding us that people -ordinary working people- really DO matter, and for helping open our eyes to what’s really going on in this country. Trinity Church should look deep into its collective soul, and at its ultimate mission. It should do the right thing, and help OWS. For I would bet my life, that if He were physically with us today...as He was 2000 years ago, He himself would be among the FIRST to climb those fences, and occupy Trinity’s Duarte Square. Of this I am certain.
why is some property to be occupied, and other not?
if foreclosures are to be occupied, why not void property rights?
if one supports OWS, why not offer one's own property for occupation?
homeless would probably be safer camping on an OWS supporter's land than on downtown turf that comes with trespassing charges, pepper spray and zipcuffs...