Sometimes justice requires a little imagination. On Saturday, when much of the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York was loudly denouncing police violence against minorities and protesters, a small group of environmentalists dreamed up a way to get the police to focus on the crimes of the 1 percent, to the point of arresting five corporate suits on United Nations property.
Granted, those five were actually members of the OWS affinity group Disrupt Dirty Power, which used Saturday’s action (billed as a “mock’upation”) to launch a month of actions targeting the “corrupt partnership between Wall Street, politicians and the business of pollution.” Police officers seemed thrown for a loop as they tore down tents bearing corporate logos and cuffed people who claimed to be from Bank of America and ExxonMobil. Compared to the rowdy anti-NYPD march earlier that afternoon, this time, the cops had more of a chance to think about what side they’re really on.
As the action began around 5 p.m., the police presence was focused on the small group of OWS protesters gathered in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, a few blocks away from U.N. headquarters. The officers must have noticed the signs and banners, heard the people’s mic, observed the silly improv performance skewering corporate polluters and thought they were in the right place. But if they had paid closer attention, they might have seen where things were going.
At one point, a couple of “representatives” from Bank of America addressed the crowd, satirizing the bank’s all too real connection to the U.N. and its upcoming Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro this June. One of them announced:
The most exciting news of the day is that we have accepted U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s invitation to permanently occupy the U.N. climate conference. Our hats go off to the Occupy movement for this concept of occupation, and we feel that we at Bank of America are well-equipped to realize the full free-market potential.
After wrapping up their discussion of the many ways Bank of America metaphorically occupies the U.N. to build a consensus around deregulation as the main vehicle for international development, the “representatives” invited the crowd to visit their physical occupation. As if that wasn’t quite enough to tip off the police, an OWS organizer then belted out the day’s objective:
Today when we march, we are not going to get arrested. We want the 1 percent to get arrested. We’re going to have fun and we’re going to put pressure upon this great institution. … And we’re going to be peaceful and jubilant to show just how peaceful we can be as opposed to this violent system.
Police officers then processed along with the protesters toward United Nations Plaza. But as soon as the march turned the corner, and the corporate tents came into full view, the officers took off, leaving the protesters in the dust. Within minutes the suit-wearing culprits were arrested beside their tents. Not having planned for this, however, the police had nowhere to put them. So while they waited for a van to arrive, the handcuffed 1 percenters stood and shouted to the protesters still marching peacefully across the street.
Bloomberg is in our pocket! … We control everything! … We have PR companies, the media, Obama, Congress! … I just invested $5 million in a Super PAC, I’m good! … We will be released soon, don’t worry! … Those are the occupiers you should be arresting!
Rebecca Manski, who helped organize the action and was among the five arrested, said the police really didn’t get that she and the others were just pretending to be corporate executives. “They were totally fooled by 1-percent appearance,” Manski explained. “They thought we were of a different class — maybe not the 1 percent exactly — but their perception was challenged of what a protester looks like.”
Seeing the protesters in different clothes seemed to make a big difference. Some of the officers had just come from Union Square, where the situation was tense after a long, angry march from Zuccotti Park. Manski actually overheard her arresting officer talk about being called “a goon” earlier in the day. The officer could hardly believe that Manski and the other suits were from the same protest movement.
OWS legal consul typically advises protesters not to speak with police officers once they’ve been arrested, but Manski decided to bend the rules. She apologized for the name-calling and was treated so gently that she wasn’t even sure where she was supposed to go. Eventually, she found her way into the police van, where an officer actually told her, “I’m sorry we had to arrest you today. We support what you are doing.”
Once at the station, the arrestees continued to be treated well. Manski reports that when one officer began complaining that they were to blame for him having to work overtime on a Saturday night, another corrected him, saying, “No, it’s the banks’ fault.” The first officer ended up agreeing, and he added, “It’s the banks’ fault and the 1 percent’s fault.” Both officers then worked to get everyone released that day, when originally it seemed that some were going to have to spend the night in jail.
“They were getting the connection between the banks and abusive power,” says Manski. Much to her relief, the day’s action had brought attention back to the issues and those who need to be held accountable. She couldn’t help but wonder about possible next steps: “Wouldn’t it be great to have a whole march on Wall Street with everyone dressed as bankers?”
FINALLY someone does what I’ve been saying all along. Dress the part, call attention to the real problem, NOT YOURSELF. Thank you!
Yes, yes, yes! They don’t want to hear the message so they’ll use the “dirty hippie” line to close their ears. If you don’t give them a way to do that, the message gets through.
exactly! since my Occupy involvement started last November, I’ve been dressing extra sharp,1%ish, and more than once I’ve “hidden in plain sight” and had a way bigger impact than if I didn’t. Wish more ppl got this!
Yes – me too – shave, haircut, sport coat.
Back in October, Eric wrote a post about an initiative to give OWS a bunch of free suits. The idea, which was put out there by a group called Suits for Wall Street, was to deliver “subversive business outfits as tactical camouflage.” But we never heard anything more about it. The group seems to have more than reached their fundraising goal on Indiegogo. Maybe it’s time to finally make it happen.
every battleground must have it’s camoflague. I hope they proceed with this great idea.
Buy all protestors suits!!!!
And have Japanese style bathing areas next time. Bucket of water, soap and laddel are all you need. Better for sanitation and appearance.
For another take on Saturday’s action that looks more at the “creative” policing than the creative activism, check out Nick Mirzoeff’s excellent blog:
Good one!!! Our prayers are with you!!!
Let’s be very very clear: It’s disgusting that a person wearing a suit receives such different treatment than a person wearing a hoodie – especially a black person wearing a hoodie. (Or a black person period, subjected every day to the injustice and the threat of “Stop and Frisks” {read: beatings}, as happened in the case of 19-year-old Jatiek Reed in the Bronx not long ago. About Jatiek Reed, see: http://occupythebronx.org/2012/03/join-family-and-friends-of-jatiek-reed-and-demand-police-accountability/)
And it is absurd that at no point have the police raided the corporate occupation that has been erected within the chambers of government (that has in fact, colonized the entire planet).
People perceived as belonging to a “higher” class obviously should not be receiving more gentle treatment. The fact that we were, only brings into sharp relief the fact that as a collective, the police are generally trained to serve and protect the 1%. So long as the .01% implicated in defrauding the American people of their homes and their democracy, enjoy impunity, it will be clear to us all that our justice system and the police that enforce it, do not serve the interests of the 99%.
At the same time, let me tell you one more story (in addition to that of officer who led me to the desk saying, ‘the banks are why you had to do this and why I had to be here on overtime when I would rather be at home with my family’). Another officer, from behind the processing desk addressed us: “If you’re with the banks, maybe you could do something about my house payments.” That makes 4 separate officers who made comments of this nature – almost as many of us as got arrested.
What we’re calling for is an end to complicity with the corporate occupation of the earth – from the consumer, to the police officer…. from the bank teller to the teacher…from the soldier to the street vendor. As we peaceably assemble in parks, in the streets, exercising our democratic rights, and as we engaged in disciplined non-violent civil disobedience, we in OWS are calling for an end to complicity with the illegal occupation of the planet.
Yes – anyone who wants to join us in a march on Wall Street, dressed as Wall Street bankers, as we ‘force’ the police into finally taking corporate lawbreakers to court, we are ready! End the corporate occupation of the planet, evict Wall Street Polluters!
I’m glad you made this point, Rebecca. On the one hand, the action was successful in terms of modeling a more productive interaction with police. On the other, it showed how massively police behavior is affected by perceived class based on attire. Another reason to say “f- the police,” even if maybe it’s not such a good idea to do so, strategically and otherwise.
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for posting such an insightful article. I’m curious, do you think the reason for your experience after being arrested in ONLY a product of how you were dressed, or is it possible that you were responded to with gentleness because you yourself were not confrontational?
I have been watching the Occupy movement grow and change since last year, and it seems (at least from the outside) that when protestors act in an aggressive and hostile manner, police respond in kind. I wonder would could be possible if, in the interest of the so-called “diversity of tactics,” protestors marched silently, without aggression toward police.
I understand the need for movements to respond to the current times, but if we look at the most successful revolutionary movements (such as Gandhi in India and MLK Jr. in the US), their approaches were ones of total nonviolence (not only in action, but in speech and response as well). I’m interested to get your opinion. Thanks!
I agree. One issue that protest movements tend to have is that they are too focused on the collision of powers, and not individuals. I very much support Occupies ideology, but question the tactics. As you are individuals fighting for financial accountability, the police officers are people working for a livelihood. They will do as their bosses tell them. It is the hire ups you should have issue with, not the beat cops. They respond to aggression with aggression because they have a dangerous job, and will defend themselves against any perceived threat. Yes, there are officers who abuse their supposed power. They deserve nothing but derision. But please, be prepared to defend yourselves, don’t assume you need to. Treat them well, you might see a change in their attitudes towards you.
In fact, several of us made huge gestures, or moved away from the police as they approached, both of which, in a different situation, could have been falsely deemed attempts at resisting arrest.
I think how we were treated had to do with our being white people dressed in suits.
I would say that the slow and civil reaction of the police also had a lot to do with the fact that we did seem to completely surprise them. They seemed kind of stunned. And in those moments of surprise, disorder, confusion, people’s individual personalities come out, their own judgment kicks into gear, processes of questioning start churning anew….
One of the early strengths of OWS has been our creativity, our unpredictability. Since police officers generally wait for orders, they freeze up a bit in the situations we are able to strategically out-maneuver them.
Case in point: I am very glad that we “fought back” on our 6-month anniversary, simply by rejoicing in the park, dancing capoiera, cheering to a slew of bagpipes, clowning with the Plus Brigades. However, that night we started out in a rather predictable way…. and that night the police executed a strategy several months in the making. The cops they sent to sweep us out, were all big burly bulls that stampeded over us down the stairs and across the plaza – of all the same body type and demeanor….
And then some of us headed unexpectedly to Union Square, and the police were not expecting that, and the occupation at Union Square has held since then.
The answer is more creativity, more strategy balanced by spontaneity, and vice versa.
It’s all about moving beyond our last successful action – and this means not getting overly attached to any one particular tactic, not getting stuck replicating an old model. It means constantly creating new models that can spread the message and the excitement and the momentum of this movement.
So..you’re saying..because you didn’t look like a douchebag, you got better treatment? Also, you were white, and that’s another reason why you got better treatment? Wake up and smell the body odor! You weren’t retaliatory, you didn’t call the police names, and you weren’t shouting, or resisting. THAT is why you were treated with respect. How hard of a concept is that to understand? I think you really do want the police to be somewhat aggressive towards you all…otherwise nobody really cares about what you’re doing. You NEED the publicity, because without it, the OWS movement is insignificant.
I think the point is that police brutality should not be rationalized because the police do not like the appearance or culture of those they deal with in any situation.
let’s be like this:
http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/01/76/11/516676/5/628×471.jpg
Hilarious. and very strong social message too. this little shenanigan ows did …
Not a hoodie or Skittle in sight. No need to shoot and kill.
What an insane society!
May Spirit bless you & keep you safe in your long-needed protests. As an older & disabled American I try to do my part with my writing on Twitter & Facebook. Plus, contacting my reps in Congress. I’m trying to make ppl aware of ALEC, the right-wing org trying to strip more & more of our rights away through state & national legislation. They are dangerous to our democracy!!! They are the brainchild of War on Women & other attacks on the American. Working together, we can right this upside-down discriminatory country and save it.
Remember “Billionaires for Bush”? The Bush campaigners actually thought it was a real group supporting their candidate, so Bush had them try to contact them to ask them for $$$. They marched and demonstrated in suits with their brief cases stuffed with monopoly money.
Or protesters all dressed as police so the police can’t tell the difference!!!
Impersonating an officer is illegal.
Are police Halloween costumes (sexy police officer and Reno 911) an impersonation? And their only like 10 bucks at a costume shop.
So is publicly assembling apparently. I dont see the part in the constitution that says you can publicly assemble (but you have to go home at night – you can come back and publicly assemble tomorrow though). And since when are pop tents perminant structures?
“Compared to the rowdy anti-NYPD march earlier that afternoon, this time, the cops had more of a chance to think about what side they’re really on.”
Yeah sorry I really doubt that arresting people they knew were impersonating the people they claimed to be (because its so amazingly likely exxon mobil etc suits are going to be in OWS tents) gave them anything to think on
I’ve often wondered if massive silent protest a la the protesters lining the pathway at UC Davis might be more effective than all the screaming, yelling and jumping up and down. Combine suits, silence and a massive presence and it’d be harder for people programmed to think, “oh, it’s just the dirty f-ing hippies again” to ignore the message.
That said, support and hugs from an older, partially disabled woman who can’t be in the streets with you.
I’ve often thought of that UC Davis action (and talked about it with Occupiers) as a paradigm case of a really powerful alternative to loud, screaming marches. Thank you for bringing it up!
Interesting article and it brings up a good point. As a 49-year-old woman who supports OWS, I have to say that if the movement is to maintain momentum, it has to appeal to the largest demographic possible. In order to do that, the people involved have to take the breadth of that demographic into consideration and act accordingly. I know it would be easier for me to persuade more people in my age bracket to get behind the movement if it weren’t for those acting goofy, dancing around in circles, or those finding it necessary to get arrested once again by trying to stay in a park after midnight. The original police actions against the protestors were unprovoked, so garnered public sympathy. Now it’s like some of the protestors are trying to goad the cops into arresting them. The public isn’t going to have sympathy for you if you come off like a jerk, nor if you’re continually doing things to get arrested. As others here have said, it just feeding into the “dirty, hippie” propaganda.
This is perfect… more of this please!!!! Really Drives Home the message.
I will definitely show this to my aunt we were just talking about this last month!
Thanks for organizing this, I was really happy I made the trip to participate. Here’s my post about the event –
http://witsendnj.blogspot.com/2012/03/koch-kills-banner-makes-its-new-york.html
Are people going to DC for occupy EPA on Friday?
I wear a suit, usually with a tie, most everytime I protest with Occupy, and I was wearing one on last Saturday, M24, during the anti-police brutality march. It started when I would come to Zucotti directly after work, and then I wore one the night Zucotti was raided by the cops (N15) because I knew I would be going straight to work that next morning- now I have been wearing them ever since, and will be wearing one as I march across the Bklyn Bridge this Sunday. There’s a few of us who do this.
Men dressed in suits and ties, women in business attire, clergy in their distinctive dress, and veterans in full military garb have been part of Occupy demonstrations in New York and all around the country from the beginning.
The use of satire and humor to skewer the 1% (and the police who protect and serve them) has been frequent.
Many of those who participate in Occupy actions while in uniform, dressed for success or when using humor against oppression have been arrested as part of civil disobedience actions from the beginning as well.
Making the case to the police — that they are being screwed just like everyone else — has been ongoing, even when the crowds have been raucous, their dress less apropos to the boardroom.
Where I am, the police initially conducted their raids and arrests in full riot gear — against peaceful, nonviolent civil disobedience. The raids and arrests became a nightly ritual, a very expensive absurdist performance by the City.
The arresting officers were invariably courteous however, despite the occasional raucousness of onlookers. Many of those who were arrested felt that they had gotten the message through to the police that even when protests were loud and militant, the demonstrators were not their enemies.
Thank God. Thank Occupy.
So many have said the NYPD is hopeless. So many have said we can’t get through.
This proves all of that wrong. Even if it was just a few officers, this proves there ARE still good men & women on the force and that what we’ve said all along holds true:
NYPD: YOU ARE THE 99%. WE OCCUPY FOR YOU, TOO!!
We can win this. If we adhere to non-violence as Dr. King and the beloved Ghandi did, we CAN do this.
Don’t lose faith. We are changing hearts and minds every day.
I don’t want to make this insanely long, but my mom & I painted my parent’s van (which I drive as my 4×4 pickup is too hard for me to handle since I got hit with MS) with Occupy information back in September, and it has inspired many conversations from people who catch a glimpse and stop to read. I’ve come out of the store to find people waiting to ask questions, as well as notes posted on the windshield thanking us for spreading the word & affirming solidarity. We’ve received notes at the grocery store, McDonalds, & even a Doctor’s office.
While my step-dad & husband did have one guy flip them off as he peeled out of the WalMart parking lot (keepin’ it classy, Wally World!), the results have been almost completely positive, or at least pleasant. In an area that has perpetually abused my family for their beliefs, where I was literally railroaded out of school because I’m gay (LONG story), and where the most “diverse” religious group is the local LDS branch (Only four kids in my graduating class knew what a Mosque or a Synagogue is: two kids who moved here from the North like my family did, my cousin, and myself), I see any kind of ability to be open minded on a topic the mainstream media is touting as “a Liberal agenda” and “a bunch of Hippie kids” as serious progress. It’s sad, but this really is progress for this area and that excites me to NO end. Because of THIS area can start taking steps in the right direction after perpetually pretending we’re still in the 1860’s for the last 150 years, I have a lot of hope for the rest of the world.
This is brilliant! I still say OWS needs puppies!
When will OWS move from this hipster bullshit to gaining some actual political momentum?
I think most occupiers are missing the bigger problem in our country. Certainly there are many corruptions in big corporations, but our president making all of these unconstitutional executive orders is a MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM.
President? I know OWS LOVES to dump on Obama, but let’s get realistic here. The blame is with local elected officials, like New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg and his lousy police commissioner. Please, President Obama has little to do with these local events and arrests. Talk like this is just going to contribute towards a crazy Republican president. I don’t see OWS offering up any better alternatives than Obama. And I do support OWS, but unfortunately it is infiltrated with Ron Paul’s drones.
New York City voted for this idiot mayor Bloomberg, THREE TIMES. Unfortunately the rest of us who did not are suffering while this man hands over this city to his super rich friends.
The idea is that corporations have occupied our government, such that our President does not/cannot represent us. These unconstitutional executive orders are in the interest of the huge corporations that have bought our politicians.
I’d be happy to see Wall Street burn to the ground.
Ok don’t want to sound gullible, but I believed a lot of the police were on our side before this. They work for people who are not on our side,that’s the problem.
The March 24th video is out! Check it out- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEJ8vxRnFiw
Great beat ! I would like to apprentice whilst you amend your site, how can i subscribe for a blog site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been tiny bit familiar of this your broadcast provided brilliant clear concept
Spot on with this write-up, I really feel this site needs much
more attention. I’ll probably be returning to read through more, thanks for the advice!