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Live Blog: May Day Protesters Take to the Streets for a Day Without the 99%, Arrests Begin
Happy MayDay, readers! A full schedule of event in New York City can be found here. Keep this page open for the very latest, up-to-the-minute reports, images and tweets from the streets of New York, Oakland and more.
Live Blog:
Read from the bottom up for updates from Twitter and on the ground.
6:00pm. Some crowd estimates and other observation as OWS marches in NYC and Oakland:
Cheers erupt as police finally back off and allow marchers to enter onto Broadway from Union Square. #M1GS twitter.com/OccupyWallStNY…
— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) May 1, 2012
All day police have mostly respected press. Now things are getting tense andreports of press suppression beginning to roll in. #m1gs #ows
— Josh Stearns (@jcstearns) May 1, 2012
#occupywallstreet #ows is now up to 5,000?
— NYCLU (@nyclu) May 1, 2012
Threatening arrests and deployment of chemical agents, on multiple sides of #OO convergence. Cops now moving in. #baym1gs
— Susie Cagle (@susie_c) May 1, 2012
#osf retakes, for now, 888 Turk, the bldg they were evicted from a few WMD back. #m1gs twitpic.com/9g5ps6
— Joshua Holland (@JoshuaHol) May 1, 2012
5:15pm. Some updates from the Twitters:
RT @nydailynews: The #NYPD says 15 protesters have been arrested as of 4:30 p.m. Live coverage: nydn.us/IGKE7M #MayDay #M1NYC #M1GS
— Anthony De Rosa (@AntDeRosa) May 1, 2012
Immortal Technique: "we are a better country than the people running it" #99power #99Spring #MayDay
— NPA (@streetactionNPA) May 1, 2012
The revolution will not be punctual.
— Joshua Holland (@JoshuaHol) May 1, 2012
4:45pm. In NYC, speakers and musicians taking the stage in Union Square. And in DC? So far, nada (march scheduled for this evening).
Thousands getting down for worker rights here at Union Square! The music is flowing! And The People are united... #m1gs @OccupyWallStNYC
— Occupy Union Square (@OWSUnionSquare) May 1, 2012
Das Racist on stage now #occupywallstreet #ows Union Square
— NYCLU (@nyclu) May 1, 2012
While other cities are experiencing violence on #mayday, DC is all sunshine and smiles in the park. #M1GS #m1
— Kristen Gwynne (@kristengwynne) May 1, 2012
3:30pm. Uh oh, looks like the police action is heating up, both in NYC and in Oakland:
Tear gas at 14th and Broadway. OPD orders people off the street #bayM1GS twitter.com/robertsalonga/…
— Robert Salonga (@robertsalonga) May 1, 2012
Must be the entire NYPD at #unionsquare. Motorcycle cop brigade poised for action. #mayday @alternet
— Lynn Parramore (@LynnParramore) May 1, 2012
RT @garonsen: Things got out of hand for a minute. Plenty of tear has deployed as occupiers advanced on OPD with a shield...
— Joshua Holland (@JoshuaHol) May 1, 2012
3:15pm. Some pictures from on the ground near Union Square:
#Ows maypole "all of our grievances are connected" in #UnionSQ #M1NYC #m1gs twitter.com/wagingnv/statu…
— Waging Nonviolence (@wagingnv) May 1, 2012
Radical reappropriated barricade! #m1gs twitter.com/fellowette/sta…
— Sarah Marian Seltzer (@fellowette) May 1, 2012
OccupyWarhol. #m1gs instagr.am/p/KGF0_JDl1P/
— Sarah Jaffe (@seasonothebitch) May 1, 2012
2:45pm. Marchers are on the move in NYC. We're hearing that the crowd is impressive. Meanwhile:
Guy on clean up staff at #unionsquare just broke into applause at call for worker respect. #mayday
— Lynn Parramore (@LynnParramore) May 1, 2012
Literally, they are now our streets. On 5th ave, heading to Union, and no one is on sidewalk yfrog.com/h7ev2cpj
— Alex Kane (@alexbkane) May 1, 2012
OWS marchers have taken Fifth Avenue. #m1gs twitter.com/ANIMALNewYork/…
— ANIMALNewYork (@ANIMALNewYork) May 1, 2012
2:35pm. A dispatch from the "guitarmy," and AlterNet's Josh Holland checks in from the actions in Oakland:
Guitarmy on the march. #m1gs twitter.com/JAMyerson/stat…
— J.A. Myerson (@JAMyerson) May 1, 2012
Maybe 100 ppl at frank ogawa/Oscar grant. Headed to 22nd and telegraph. #M1GS
— Joshua Holland (@JoshuaHol) May 1, 2012
2:20pm. Some updates from AlterNet staffers and friends, as the sun comes out for protesters in NYC:
The Occupy Wall St. Journal is back. Picked up copy with 'New Declaration'from protesters #unionsquare #ows #mayday
— Lynn Parramore (@LynnParramore) May 1, 2012
Student march just rolled through Madison Square Park. #m1gs
— Sarah Jaffe (@seasonothebitch) May 1, 2012
This man was arrested totally unprovoked at Lafayette & Houston. Cops run up from behind and grabbed him #m1gs #ows twitter.com/mollyknefel/st…
— Molly Knefel (@mollyknefel) May 1, 2012
1:50pm. And a helpful, very official crowd estimate from Bryant Park:
Crowd estimate at Bryant Park: THERE'S A LOT OF FUCKING PEOPLE OUT HERE... #OWS #M1GS #Occupy #MayDay
— Chris Faraone (@Fara1) May 1, 2012
1:45pm. AlterNet's Anna Lekas Miller reports from the "wildcat strike":
White cuffs out #wildcatstrike
— Anna Lekas Miller (@agoodcuppa) May 1, 2012
Wild cat action takes Chinatown
— Anna Lekas Miller (@agoodcuppa) May 1, 2012
Some cops are in full riot gear in broad daylight. Silly. #wildcatstrike
— Anna Lekas Miller (@agoodcuppa) May 1, 2012
1:15 pm. A bunch of actions are going down all over NYC:
A "wildcat strike" is beginning down at Houston Street, a "guitarmy" is amassing at Bryant Park, and an immigrants rights march is heading to Chipotle in Midtown.
1pm. Philly represents:
Mic check inside Bank of America now #ophl #m1gs twitpic.com/9g30ta
— Joanne Michele (@SabzBrach) May 1, 2012
12:46 pm. A huge number of police are showing up for every protester:
RT @johnknefel 1 to 2 cop to protester ratio marching W on Houston. 4 arrests on Williamsburg Bridge. #ows #M1GS
— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) May 1, 2012
It legitimately looks like the police are demonstrating...about fifty police for 10 protestors so...#wildcatsrike
— Anna Lekas Miller (@agoodcuppa) May 1, 2012
Sarah Jaffe's report from the morning's actions is here.
12:20pm. Uneasiness, kettling, reported. Clashes with NYPD beginning?
Immigrant worker justice march has been encircled by riot police with batons out. 40th St. & Lexington #M1GS #MayDay twitter.com/mgouldwartofsk…
— M. Gould-Wartofsky (@mgouldwartofsky) May 1, 2012
BREAKING: need more ppl at 41st and park, 7 police vans full of riot police, and NYPD is starting to kettle! #M1NYC #M1GS
— #OWS MAY DAY (@OWSMayDay) May 1, 2012
March on pedestrian walkway at Wburg Bridge is being trapped by NYPD at the exit. #occupywallstreet #ows
— NYCLU (@nyclu) May 1, 2012
Noon. The Midwest is in the house. Some tweets from Joe Macare of Occupy Chicago and Truthout, including a livestream link.
At #OChi #MayDay BofA shutdown: RT @Yanazure: Got some major mainstream media coverage here- @wbez @ap @chicagotribune also @occupiedchitrib
— Joe Macare (@exileinflyville) May 1, 2012
Livestream from @Rebelutionary_Z back up as #OChi BofA shutdown at State & Adams continues: occupychi.org/livestream #MayDay
— Joe Macare (@exileinflyville) May 1, 2012
11:30 am.Molly Knefel reports calm, growing crowds at Bryant Park:
As the march returns to Bryant, there are a ton of people in the park #m1gs #ows twitter.com/mollyknefel/st…
— Molly Knefel (@mollyknefel) May 1, 2012
Arrest count, approximately 11 a.m: According to the livestreams above, at least five people have been arrested so far, but that's unconfirmed. Others on Twitter say only two arrests.
AlterNet's Sarah Jaffe witnessed one arrest in midtown at the 99 pickets event.
Testy encounters with the police at the 99 Pickets Events:
Cops in riot helmets pushing people onto sidewalk #m1gs #ows twitter.com/mollyknefel/st…
— Molly Knefel (@mollyknefel) May 1, 2012
But all is calm at the "pop-up occupation" at Bryant Park and a the start of a march in Brooklyn, heading to Manhattan:
Bryant Park. Calm, quaint dancing, coffeecake and conversations #M1
— Anna Lekas Miller (@agoodcuppa) May 1, 2012
Meanwhile, Occupy BK march kicking off at Continental Army Plaza, at the foot of the Williamsburg Bridge. #MayDay #M1GS #M1GSNYC
— M. Gould-Wartofsky (@mgouldwartofsky) May 1, 2012
Good morning LA! Things are taking off on the West Coast:
Right now in LA, airport workers, labor supporters, and @OccupyLA are picketing terminals at LAX + more! occupywallst.org/article/live-m… #OWS #M1GS
— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallSt) May 1, 2012
AlterNet's Sarah Jaffe is tweeting from the "99 Pickets" actions in Midtown New York:
Gregory Alan Walker, dob august21, 1987 man arrested.crowd sings Solidarity Forever as he is driven off #m1gs
— Sarah Jaffe (@seasonothebitch) May 1, 2012
Save OurHomes,Modify Loans: small picket @ Chase Bank on 47th & Madison #m1gs #99pktsinstagr.am/p/KFh8PBDl3A/
— Sarah Jaffe (@seasonothebitch) May 1, 2012
Picture the Homeless, SEIU,VOCAL-NY and more picketing atNews Corp instagr.am/p/KFfglvjl2T/
— Sarah Jaffe (@seasonothebitch) May 1, 2012
The day begins:
NYPD in riot gear #m1nyc #ows #mayday twitpic.com/9g16hy
— allisonkilkenny (@allisonkilkenny) May 1, 2012
Protestors have split up, plans for multiple actions have begun #occupywallstreet #ows
— NYCLU (@nyclu) May 1, 2012
And updates from readers on Twitter:
