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Occupy Wall Street Promises "Special Treat" In Grand Central Tonight
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 3, 2012
Modified Jan 3, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 3, 2012
Modified Jan 3, 2012
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[SPOILER UPDATE BELOW] Those of you heading home through Grand Central tonight are in for a surprise, courtesy Occupy Wall Street! Demonstrators will be in the terminal at 5 p.m. for "a spontaneous show of people power in reaction to Obama’s treasonous signing of the National Defense Authorization Act." And in addition to the spontaneous show, protesters are promising a mysterious "special treat." Hmmm, a Hipster Cop kissing booth? Twinkling finger puppet show? Tenting?
Demonstrators are spending the bulk of the afternoon freezing their butts off marching to the offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to protest the NDAA, which President Obama signed into law on New Year's Eve, sparking considerable outrage. (Schumer and Gillibrand both voted for it, Al Franken did not.) The NDAA contains an amendment that Amnesty International says "could spell indefinite detention without a hearing, keep Guantanamo open, and hinder fair trials." The act allows for the military detention of American citizens, indefinitely and without due process, even if arrested in the U.S.
Obama did release a legally non-binding signing statement promising not to use the amendments to indefinitely detain American citizens, but he also previously promised to veto the NDAA, and look what happened there. Author Naomi Wolf, who was arrested at an Occupy Wall Street demonstration last year, is outraged, writing "incredibly, ninety-three Senators voted to support this bill and now most of Congress: a roster of names that will live in infamy in the history of our nation, and never be expunged from the dark column of the history books."
[Update: Animal New York says the "special treat" is a "flash mob mic check." Oh, Occupy Wall Street, you're going to spoil us!
After Grand Central, protesters will march up Fifth Avenue for a "tour" of 1 percent homes. And then there will be another attempt at holding a General Assembly meeting at 100 William Street, a privately-owned public park where, on Sunday night, they were threatened with arrest for peacefully assembling. (Yesterday we shared video of police shooing them away.) And if that doesn't work, we've just been told Zuccotti Park is now reopened after occupiers were kept out for several days following the New Year's Eve rally.
Update, 6:15 p.m.: Protesters have been arrested...possibly for shouting?
Tagged
grand central
ndaa
occupy wall street
protests
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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