Monday, October 24, 2011

LIVE FROM THE LIVING THEATRE: Updates from #OccupyWallStreet!




- The Occupation has been a success! and the power of the people has prevailed, including those in authority who resisted the temptation of acting oppressively and violently, and allowed the occupants to stay on October 14th, backing away from their demand the protestors leave Zucatti Park.

This video is a STUNNING example of what is happening, from the 14th.

Watch the man in the green pushed by a policeman on the right side of the screen 12 seconds in, and the guy in blue reach to catch him. Then watch one policeman wildly swinging his baton at 20 seconds into it, so much so he hits another police man with his baton swinging without discretion.

BUT then a courageous woman in red hair comes in from the bottom left corner, and uses peace to over power three police men and keep the peace. It is truly one of the most incredible individual acts of pacifism in action that we have seen in this movement and it is its back bone. She also helped the police keep the situation under control by doing so: (90 seconds long total):



- Occupy Wall Street Occupies Times Square! At 2:30 into this one, a man yelling, "OH MY GOD, THEY'VE SHUT DOWN TIMES SQUARE!!" (8 mins total)

For those who care about schools and education, checkout what Sarah has to say at 6:52.


Also see this article about 350 Columbia Professors signing a document in support of the protest (article one page):



- President Obama, at the unveiling of Martin Luther King Jr. statue, says MLK would have backed the movement. See the following Washington Times article(one page):



- From Zucatti Park on the 14th to Times Square on saturday, PHENOMENAL FOOTAGE(5 mins).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75KHM4uvctA&sns=em


- The Living Theatre performance at Washington Square Park October 8th, after the first general assembly held there. Attached is the script we use, for those interested in participating. Please change it, use it, put your logo on it, talk about your projects, keep up the dialogue this movement has started. Also, let us know if you are involved so we can keep you up to date and include you in the Occupy Your World performance festival. Also attached is Judith's essay on Modern Political Theatre that will be published in her book next spring: (5 minutes)

http://vimeo.com/30714057


- On going discussions are happening about occupations in many places, by many different groups all over the world. Here is the video from the Offical NYCGA.CC website explaining the process and how to be involved:


The Occupation is currently discussing the occupation of Washington Square Park and the NYU student body has already offered to share their meal plans with the occupants should they try for this. The Occupation is currently discussing the occupation of Washington Square Park and the NYU student body has already offered to share their meal plans with the occupants should this happen.


- Representing 64 countries and tens of thousands of artists around the world, from IETM Congress:(2 mins)


Also, encouragingly, The VIllage Voice Obies responded in support as well, and posted on their facebook page!

This is our first attempt at a worldwide social and cultural dialogue for almost 50 years. We need everyone to help maintain the peace. Follow along, and say your piece, whatever it is. Everyone is upset, and we all have the same problem. No one's needs are any greater than anyone else's.

Let's get to work solving our problems.

Spread the word!!!

Love from The Living,

Brad
The Living Theatre

4 comments:

TC said...

How does one measure "success"?

A night of havoc and menace...

occupy oakland live stream

VANITAS said...

You are right, Tom, that success can never be ultimately achieved, and chaos is always part of the equation, but how about the chaos those fools in suits and ties floors above inflict daily? I love the Living's optimism — Judith keeps it real, and on an even keel. She was the one who said, we have to TALK to Republicans!

TC said...

Vincent,

Chaos can be fertile. The suits and ties aren't planting anything that good.

These Movements out here are experiments in self-regulating Chaos. But then down swoops the dark enclosing wing of Order.

Last night, the Occupy Oakland site was forcibly evicted. The Mayor of Oakland was (conveniently) out of town overnight. In the past few hours, a force of 200 Oakland cops massed at Treasure Island. "They're not just there to drink beer and tell stories". It has been speculated that they are on the move across the bridge to support SF cops in closing down Occupy SF. Meanwhile SFPD is reported to be on the ready at a staging area with prisoner transport buses. But at two a.m. five members of the SF Board of Sups met, apparently in an effort to forestall the sort of violence that happened last night when the Oakland police closed down the site there. (One man from the Oakland site, an Iraq vet, hit in the head by a point blank blast of a tear gas canister, has a fractured skull, brain swelling and has been put into a "chemically induced coma".)

Nobody really knows what may happen.

Occupy SF Live Stream

TC said...

Live Stream must be considered a useful weapon, or at least regarded as such by some.

One tactic deployed at this week's Oakland Strike was "shoot the camera guy".