Thursday, February 2, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Dismantling Detroit
Dismantling Detroit: The filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady look at young men who salvage scrap metal from Detroit’s derelict buildings, set against the backdrop of globalization.
We chose to focus our cameras on Detroit out of a gut feeling that this city — often heralded as the birthplace of the middle class — may well be a harbinger of things to come for the rest of the country.
Detroit lost 25 percent of its population between 2000 and 2010, and now, broke, finds itself on the verge of a possible state takeover. Yet visual reminders of a better time both haunt and anoint the residents here. The past is achingly present in Detroit, and the way its citizens interact with the hulking, physical remnants of yesterday is striking.
A few years ago, there was a rash of power outages in Detroit, caused by people illegally cutting down live telephone wires to get to the valuable copper coils inside. The Detroit police created a copper theft task force to deter the so-called “scrappers,” young men who case old buildings for valuable metals, troll cemeteries to steal copper grave plates and risk their lives to squeeze any last dollar out of the industrial detritus.
One freezing evening we happened upon the young men in this film, who were illegally dismantling a former Cadillac repair shop. They worked recklessly to tear down the steel beams and copper fasteners. They were in a hurry to make it to the scrap yard before it closed at 10 p.m., sell their spoils and head to the bar.
Surprisingly, these guys, who all lacked high school diplomas, seemed to have a better understanding of their place in the global food chain than many educated American 20-somethings. The young men regularly checked the fluctuating price of metals before they determined their next scrap hunt, and they had a clear view of where these resources were going and why. They were the cleanup crew in a shaky empire. Somebody’s got to do it.
One of the men, who had come up from Kentucky to scrap after losing a job in a coal mine, stands out in our minds. Taking a short break from the action, he looked up and said with disgust, “All that’s left here are the remnants of what was.”
The next day we went back to check on the progress of their project. The entire building was gone.
Detroit lost 25 percent of its population between 2000 and 2010, and now, broke, finds itself on the verge of a possible state takeover. Yet visual reminders of a better time both haunt and anoint the residents here. The past is achingly present in Detroit, and the way its citizens interact with the hulking, physical remnants of yesterday is striking.
A few years ago, there was a rash of power outages in Detroit, caused by people illegally cutting down live telephone wires to get to the valuable copper coils inside. The Detroit police created a copper theft task force to deter the so-called “scrappers,” young men who case old buildings for valuable metals, troll cemeteries to steal copper grave plates and risk their lives to squeeze any last dollar out of the industrial detritus.
One freezing evening we happened upon the young men in this film, who were illegally dismantling a former Cadillac repair shop. They worked recklessly to tear down the steel beams and copper fasteners. They were in a hurry to make it to the scrap yard before it closed at 10 p.m., sell their spoils and head to the bar.
Surprisingly, these guys, who all lacked high school diplomas, seemed to have a better understanding of their place in the global food chain than many educated American 20-somethings. The young men regularly checked the fluctuating price of metals before they determined their next scrap hunt, and they had a clear view of where these resources were going and why. They were the cleanup crew in a shaky empire. Somebody’s got to do it.
One of the men, who had come up from Kentucky to scrap after losing a job in a coal mine, stands out in our minds. Taking a short break from the action, he looked up and said with disgust, “All that’s left here are the remnants of what was.”
The next day we went back to check on the progress of their project. The entire building was gone.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
University offers Occupy Wall Street course where students earn class credit by working 'in the field'
A leading university is offering an Occupy Wall Street course in which grad students and upperclassmen can earn a full course credit by getting involved in the movement's projects outside the classroom.
The course starts the next semester and will involve classes at Columbia's New York campus plus work in the field.
It will be taught by Zuccotti Park veteran Dr Hannah Appel, a leading Occupy supporter, the New York Post reports.
New Year's Eve clash: Protesters hold up a barricade at Zuccotti Park in New York
The course will be called Occupy The Field: Global Finance, Inequality, Social Movement.
It will be run by the anthropology department.
The syllabus says up to 30 students will be expected to get involved in Occupy projects.
Occupy the classrooms: The new course at Columbia will begin next semester
Unhappy New Year: Police made scores of arrests as midnight approached
Zuccotti Park veteran: Course lecturer Dr Hannah Appel
In her blog, Miss Appel defends the Occupy movement and says: 'It is important to push back against the rhetoric of "disorganization" or "a movement without a message" coming from left, right and center.'
She told the Post that her support will not hinder her ability to be an objective teacher.
Miss Appel said: 'Inevitably, my experience will color the way I teach, but I feel equipped to teach objectively.
'It’s best to be critical of the things we hold most sacred.'
News of the course comes just two days after scores of occupiers were arrested shortly before midnight on New Years Eve in New York.
Police made the arrests after protesters began tearing down barricades surrounding Zuccotti Park.
Charges include reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct and trespassing.
Via: http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Monday, January 2, 2012
LIVE: OWS New Year's Eve Festivities
MIDNIGHT UPDATE: Liberty Square has been retaken. New York, get down there now! See below for Live updates from the ground.
Tonight, expect a General Assembly in Liberty Square at 7pm, a noise demo in front of the Manhattan jail at 9pm, regrouping en masse at Liberty Square between 10pm and midnight, then partying in the streets as we go mobile. See here for full plans for the night!
GAs, protests, and parties are also taking place at Occupations in Boston, Oakland, DC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Nashville, Tampa, Bloomington, Toronto, Amsterdam, Tahir Square in Cairo, and elsewhere across the world. Find your local Occupy and come out if you can! What better way to bring in the new year than making a New Year's REVOLUTION?
If you can't make it out, find your local Occupation's livestream and social media accounts -- it's even better than watching the ball drop. New York livestreams have been intermittent. Try:
- occupystreams.org/item/occupy-wall-st-
- livestream.com/globalrevolution
- livestream.com/occupynyc2
- ustream.tv/
Live Updates from the Ground:
- 5:05am: If you know someone who was arrested, call the NLG at (212) 679-6018. Full name and birthdate are helpful. Happy new year!
- 4:05am: 30+ arrests throughout the night. Some still rallying at 13th st and 2nd ave.
- 3:28am: Arrested livestreamers & tweeters active inside NYPD paddy wagon before NYPD turned off lights in van.
- 3:12am: NYPD ejected Nat'l Lawyers Guild observer. Observer left and made phone call. NYPD demanded NLG observer put down phone, then arrested the observer.
- 3:10am: NYPD physically threw livestreamers out of the group before making indiscriminate arrests of random pedestrians.
- 3:07am: NYPD blockaded sidewalk, forced march to stop, threatened to arrest marchers for blocking the sidewalk. Mass arrest now brutalizing peaceful demonstrators.
- 2:30am: Dozens of arrests made at 13th & 5th ave. Some still marching down 6th Ave. Targeting journalists, photographers, livestreamers with violence. Liberty Square mostly dispersed, crowds gone out to celebrate and prepare for the New Year.
- 2:20am: Police block off street, mass violent arrests happening!
- 2:10am: Mass of police vehicles rush north on Church Street, sirens and lights blaring, presumably after march up 7th Ave to Union Square.
- 2:00am: Police using horses to clear sidewalks, attacking peaceful protesters in the street. Hundreds of police vehicles. Arrests also reported at march in Soho.
- 1:30am: NYPD orders dispersal, arrests begin. Police clearing "Liberty Mountain." Some Occupiers marching to 7th Precinct to support arrested protesters.
- 1:20am: Pounding batons, hundreds of police combing area asking for "official press passes." Arrests anticipated.
- 1:05am: March at Fulton and Nassau, police still following. Reports police attempting to kettle protesters on sidewalks. A few more arrests reported. Others headed back to defend Liberty Square, where riot police continue to mass and threaten Occupiers.
- 12:45pm: Thousands still in Square, as march leaves Liberty. Headed down Broadway, police moving in pursuit.
- 12:40pm: Party continues at Liberty. Cops backing down for now. Barricades are twinkling after Occupiers hung lights across piled barricades.
- 12:00pm: Happy New Year from OCCUPIED Liberty Square! Thousands already here. JOIN US!
- 11:50pm: Riot cops, batons drawn, mobilizing in formation. Police mounted on horses. More barricades taken down, piled in center of park.
- 11:30pm: Party continues on "Liberty Mountain" (the pile of barricades). More pics here.
- 11:20pm: Police losing control. Barricade pile growing as Occupiers continue to clear them from sidewalks on all sides of park.
- 11:10pm: Medics tending to pepper spray victims. Some directly sprayed, others hit indirectly. Meanwhile, the People's Kitchen is back open in Liberty Square! Also, mainstream media reporting Dept. of Homeland Security seen on ground.
- 11:05pm: More police brutality reported. Cops shove barricade into protester's face; pepper spray confirmed. From NYC_GA Twitter: "Bloodied protester being dragged away by #NYPD"
- 11:00pm: More police vehicles showing up. On south side, protesters removed barricades, piled them together, dancing on top! Huge crowd in park. Reports pepper spray used by police.
- 10:55pm: The People's Library has returned to Liberty Square! [Picture here.] tz55A67WQ
- 10:45pm: Protesters corralled into Liberty Square and surrounded by police. From Twitter: "Cops are swarming liberty square, tearing down their own barricade in their pursuit of protesters. People are being forced back in the park (#irony)"
- 10:40pm: Multiple Occupy groups on the move throughout lower Manhattan. More arrests on livestream. Liberty Square barricades torn down by protesters; Occupiers inside. OWS New York is taking back our home!
- 10:20pm: More arrests. At least four confirmed.
- 10:10pm: NYPD has blocked off Bowery & Canal, racing to catch up to the march.
- 10:00pm: Police appear at anti-prison march, protesters continue march with banners, chanting "Occupy Wall Street is in town, burn the prisons to the ground!'" Unconfirmed reports of at least one arrest.
- 9:30pm: Meanwhile in Boston, the 99% "Bat Signal" returns!
- 9:50pm: Anti-prison rally making tons of noise with horns, drums, whistles, chanting. Now taking the streets, headed to Liberty.Photo from Twitter
- 9:20pm: Protesters assemble at Noise Demo outside Manhattan jail, addressing prisoners inside with People's Mic.
- 9:00pm: Four year old under threat of arrest hands over tent to Bloomberg's publicly funded private army. American flag not let into Liberty Square, under pretense that flagpole was a weapon.
- 8:45pm: Occupiers jumping NYPD barricades around Liberty. Discussion heard via mic check between NYPD and mom and children with tent. Brookfield Properties security seen carrying away tiny tent.
- 8:00pm: After Occupiers hold General Assembly in Liberty Square, NYPD closes off access to the park claiming rule violations because some people (including children) set up a "toy-sized" (via Newyorkist) tent. Protesters now marching around Liberty Park chanting "All Day, All Week, Occupy Wall Street!"
Friday, December 23, 2011
Year in New York Pictures
NEW YORK has always been too big an idea to be rendered successfully in a single image: simultaneously cruel and generous, dazzling and demeaning, unbearably vibrant and — as it waits to see what path a tropical storm will take — suspensefully calm. But one thing that almost every New York moment has in common is a surprise of some sort. Some surprises are dreadful. An 8-year-old boy named Leiby Kletzky was supposed to walk the seven blocks back to his home in Borough Park one day in July, but he never made it. Other surprises were joyful. Same-sex couples did not go into the year thinking they would have the right to marry before the summer was out. Felix Ramirez and Peter Vargas of the Bronx had already been together 24 years by the time they were wed at City Hall. (Or at least near it.)
As fall began, the name Zuccotti Park was familiar to only a small number of people downtown. By winter, it had become known around the world, as the Occupy Wall Street movement was emulated in one city after the next. And then there was that self-assured congressman who made no disguise of his mayoral ambitions or — it turned out — of other ambitions, either.
Any one of these images describe the New York of 2011. Taken together as a crazy quilt, they describe a New York that is simply timeless.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Occupy Wall Street – A Collection
Photo by Tim Schreier. From Newser: “So far, 15 of my fellow Marine buddies are meeting me there, also in uniform. I didn’t fight for Wall Street. I fought for America.”
Photo by sunsetparker.
Photo by magneticart.
Photo by magneticart.
Photo by R. Flynn.
Photo by ljensenconsumer.
Photo by ljensenconsumer.
Photo by waywuwei.
——————————————
From Alternet.org:
“To be fair, the scene in Liberty Plaza seems messy and chaotic. But it’s also a laboratory of possibility, and that’s the beauty of democracy. As opposed to our monoculture world, where political life is flipping a lever every four years, social life is being a consumer and economic life is being a timid cog, the Wall Street occupation is creating a polyculture of ideas, expression and art.
Yet while many people support the occupation, they hesitate to fully join in and are quick to offer criticism. It’s clear that the biggest obstacles to building a powerful movement are not the police or capital — it’s our own cynicism and despair.
Perhaps their views were colored by the New York Times article deriding protestors for wishing to “pantomime progressivism” and “Gunning for Wall Street with faulty aim.” Many of the criticisms boil down to “a lack of clear messaging.”
But what’s wrong with that? A fully formed movement is not going to spring from the ground. It has to be created. And who can say what exactly needs to be done? We are not talking about ousting a dictator; though some say we want to oust the dictatorship of capital.”
…
“Now, there are endless objections one can make. But if we focus on the possibilities, and shed our despair, our hesitancy and our cynicism, and collectively come to Wall Street with critical thinking, ideas and solidarity we can change the world.”
Via:
| http://www.streetartutopia.com/?p=4334 |
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