Occupy Wall Street: Jeffrey Sachs, Yom Kippur and A General Assembly In Washington Square Park

As Occupy Wall Street goes into its third week in Zuccotti Park, the movement is spreading across the country. On Friday, October 7, economist Jeffery Sachs, a Columbia University professor, told protesters that they have the power to affect the next election. Sachs believes candidates don't need Wall Street's billions to run for president because of social media. All a candidate needs now is the 99% behind him. He backed away from supporting President Obama, saying he could do so only if Obama admitted that using campaign funds from Wall Street is the wrong thing to do. Click here to hear Sachs on the $2 billion war chest Obama is trying to raise,  here for the power of social media , and  the money spent on the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. * Jeffery Sachs has worked for and supported Monsanto. 

In the evening, Jewish activist Daniel Sieradski led a Yom Kippur service across the street from Zuccotti Park, Hundreds attended. Before the service, candles were lit for Jewish activists now deceased, including Abby Hoffman.

On Saturday, Occupy Wall Street held its general assembly in Washington Square Park. The police and the parks departments barricaded off the arch, the fountain, the bathrooms and all the grassy areas before the protesters arrived; and then spread through the neighborhood in large numbers. The massive police presence included paddy wagons and motorcycles which lined one of the streets near NYU. While the police prepared to handle a riot, the protesters, over a thousand strong, remained peaceful. Occupy Wall Street keeps pointing out that the police are part of the 99%, even though the NYPD accepted a $4.6 million donation from J.P. Morgan.

Mayor Bloomberg predicted that people will take to the streets if more jobs aren't created.He was right, but I don't think passing the jobs bill would have prevented Occupy Wall Street. Participants in the OWS movement have more than jobs on their minds.  You can read the OWS declaration here.

Economist Jeffrey Sachs in Zuccoti Park

Occupy Wall Street in Washington Sq. Park

Yom Kippur across From Zuccotti Park

Candles for Deceased Jewish Activists

Occupy Wall Street Participant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZoJuxILJ_U

Occupy Wall Street, Continued

Wall Street barricaded off empty except for NYPD

On Oct. 5, while protesters were holding a rally in Foley Square, the NYC police were barricading off all paths to the Stock Exchange on Wall Street. I photographed the march form Zuccotti Park to Foley Square and then took a subway to Wall Street, thinking i would meet the marchers there. Instead i found lines of metal barricades and loads of police. It became clear to me the marchers weren't going to make it to Wall Street so I left the area and made my way to Zucotti Park, which was full to capacity. For the first time, the park was barricaded. You could get in but only at the corners of the park where police were controlling movement creating a claustrophobic environment.

Protestors in Foley Square

As i was leaving, I witnessed a long procession of cops headed to Wall Street. Something menacing was in the air. When I got back to my base, I read tweets that said ambulances were stationed at the Wall Street bull and cops had attacked protesters. Later on Fox News I saw a report from the front lines: The cops used their batons to strike not only protesters but the media too.

There was footage of protesters knocking over a police motorcycle and trying to enter Wall Street before violence began. Once again the police have their side of the story to justify their heavy-handed tactics. But I wonder why didn't the police let the Occupy Wall Street people march on Wall Street? The crowd was much smaller than the thousands that had marched to Foley Square. The Wall Street offices were closed, so business would not have been disrupted. Had they let the protestors march the streets in the financial district, that would have been that. Instead, countless man hours were spent to make the streets impassible turning downtown NYC into a police state, setting up a situation bound to lead to confrontation.

Is it Police Commissioner Kelly or Mayor Bloomberg calling the shots in this uncharted new chapter of civil disobedience in NYC, a city that is big on law and order? Whoever it is in charge has empowered the protestors once again with their actions. If the whole world wasn't watching, they certainly are now.

To see my images from the Oct 5th march and rally click on my set on Flickr.
Click here to see a slide show and my first hand account from the Brooklyn Bridge on the Atlantic's website .
And here to see video of one of the protestors resisting arrest on the Brooklyn Bridge.
And advice given to protesters by Lawyers Guild before the march started.

Occupy Wall Street Protestors march to Foley Square

Occupy Wall Street Protestors march to Foley Square

Add caption

Protestor in Foley Square

Occupying Wall Street

Sign in Liberty Plaza on Day 10 of Occupy Wall Street

The police brutality against protestors participating in the Occupy Wall Street Movement has been appalling. Our political leaders take foreign leaders to task for human rights violations abroad, so to see them in America disturbed me. In Cairo, when the protests began, I could sense the significance of what was happening in Tahrir Square. (See my coverage here ) Though comparing Tahrir Square to Liberty Plaza is a stretch, I believe it is significant none the less. The Wall St. protesters have remained in the plaza, no easy feat when facing a massive police presence. With each passing day, the Occupy Wall Street movement (AKA We Are the 99%) is growing. The social injustice and corruption in the American political system and the destructiveness of corporate greed is not a message those in charge want to hear.

If the police's goal was to intimidate the protesters, that hasn't happened. Manhandling protesters on 9/24 while video and still cameras recorded police brutality only empowered the group. Maybe those in charge haven't grasped  the power of social media, the spirit that fueled the Arab Spring. Predictably the protesters' resolve strengthened and their movement gained credibility once the media was forced to recognized what was going on. I am one of many who came to NYC to document Occupy Wall Street after seeing protestors pepper-sprayed and arrested.  The eyes of the world are on NYC

now.

Some say the protesters are the Left's answer to the Tea Party. How refreshing to hear voices from another side. There is no single voice in Liberty Plaza and seemingly all the voices there are welcomed.The movement is gaining momentum as protests spread to other cities . Well known personalities are showing up, including Michael Moore and Cornel West, both of whom praised the protestors and thanked them for standing up to the powers that be and starting a much needed movement whose goal is social and economic justice.

Watching people practice free speech whether or not I agree with what they are saying or not reminds me how valuable free speech is. More coverage to follow in the coming days as the protest continues. 

See a video clip of Michael Moore speaking to Fox News reporter, here chiding him for not understanding capitalism.

Michael Moore Talking to Fox Reporter on Day 10

Cornel West tells the crowd not being afraid to say the word "Revolution" and thanking the protesters.
And a clip of West talking about how out of touch Geithner and Paulson are, how frightening this unpredictable gathering of people of all races and sexual orientations is to them.
See a photo slide show from my first day on the scene on the Atlantic Wire shot on day ten. And more images on Occupy Wall Street flickr set.

Protestors March on Wall Street

Police stand on the sidewalk of Liberty Square

Cornel West on Day 11 of Occupy Wall Street

One of many signs at Liberty Plaza

Protestors March around Wall Street on Day 10

Protestors March Through Wall Street on Day 10 

Will she run or won't she? Sarah Palin is still keeping people guessing.

At the Iowa Tea Party's September 3rd Restoring America rally, about 2,000 people braved the rain to hear former Alaskan governor Sarah Palin speak. She sharply lashed out at President Obama and at "more of the same." Her fans cheered, intermittently shouting out for her to "Run, Sarah, run."

I asked Judd Saul, the Tea Party of America media relations representative, about the lower than expected turnout. "It wasn't the rain that kept folks away, it was activist Peter Singleton, who spread rumors the rally in Indianola, Iowa, had been canceled. Emails and blogs stated Palin would be a no show at the event. It came down to the Tea Party vs. Sarah Palin's party, that was unhappy with this event because they lacked control." Other rumors claimed that Christine O’Donnell invited herself to the rally and was told she was welcome. In fact, O’Donnell was disinvited because the Palin camp didn't want to share the venue with her.

At Strong America Now's tent, tee shirts were given to those who signed a petition calling on candidates to take a Tea Party fiscal responsibility training class if they wanted to be endorsed by the Tea Party. From various voices in the crowd: "The only hot air coming out of the plant is from Al Gore's ass," "Vegetarians are whimps because they don't have to hunt down the prey" and "Democrats are ruining the country by taking god out of everything." According to one woman's tee shirt. "If you love guns, babies and Palin, the Tea Party is for you,"

After Palin's made her speech, she mixed with the crowd, holding babies, hugging supporters, signing books, tee shirts and whatever else was passed her way. Up next for Palin, New Hampshire, where her appearance raises further questions as to whether or not she'll run for President in 2012.

Industrial Incident Causes Massive Fish Kill in Louisiana

Another industrial incident takes a toll on the environment in Louisiana. The Temple-Inland paper mill in Bogalusa has taken responsibility for a fish kill in Pearl River and its tributaries stemming from an incident that began over a week ago. Attached are images I shot on Aug. 18 and 19th of the fish kill and the cleanup.

The paper mill knew they had a problem when they exceeded their limit of allowable discharge into the Pearl River. They didn't report the incident to DEQ ( Department of Environmental Quality) immediately, nor did they stop production. When they did cease operation, enough black liquor, a byproduct of the paper-making process, was released into the river to cause a major kill of fish including carp, drum catfish, eels , sardines and the endangered sturgeon, shellfish and turtles along 40 miles of river. By the end of this weekend, most of the dead fish have been picked up. Water fouled by chemicals that caused oxygen depletion have been flushing out into bigger bodies of water--first into the Rigolets and from there into Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne, which both connect to the Gulf of Mexico. Damage to the Rigolets and the lakes is being monitored by the DEQ and other concerned parties. On the August 20, crabbers reported pulling up hundreds of traps full of dead crabs ( see local news report here  ) .
To see more images this link is to a set on Flickr  .
To see a video clip click here.
Nature's resiliency is remarkable. Though the tributary I documented was full of death, the maggots were very much alive, feasting on the fish carcasses. The Pearl River and other bayous I explored had signs of life returning, despite the black film still present in the water.

Cancer Alley

The Mississippi River's record-breaking levels prompted the opening of the Spillways north of Baton Rouge and New Orleans this spring. As a result, the cities' populations are out of danger and the petrochemical and oil industries based there have been protected. There was no disruption in production to further damage the national economy. With more extreme weather the vulnerability of such facilities throughout out the country is something to pay attention to .

The stretch along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans has been called "The Petrochemical Corridor." But in some quarters it's also known as "Cancer Alley," a reference to the many cases of cancer reported by communities on both sides of the Mississippi. There are disputes about the cancer statistics. Cases of certain rare cancers in children are above the national average, but according to The Louisiana Tumor Registry, the overall rate of cancer is not higher.

Louisiana gives generous tax breaks to industry and has a close relationship to oil companies brought to light during the BP oil spill crisis. Some say the Department of Environmental Quality has been acting in the interests of industry,too, instead of serving as a watchdog for the people it is meant to protect. . Along the same stretch of river is one of the National Oil Reserve locations as well as Waterford 3, a nuclear power plant serving the New Orleans area ,just yards from a levee. The tsunami in Japan that triggered a melt down at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant raises questions that reverberate in Louisiana. Are safety measures in place to protect plants from natural disasters as the 2011 hurricane season kicks off?
To see more images from this series click here to see a set on Flickr

A Year After the BP Oil Disaster; A Walk on Mississippi Beaches

Last weekend I went to Mississippi's Gulf Coast beaches. I arrived just before sunset. Before the light was gone I photographed four dead sea turtles and a variety of other animals--birds, jellyfish, stingray, armadillo and catfish. I walked the beaches on Saturday and Sunday too, exploring different spots from Waveland to Gulfport and shot over 100 carcasses.


Animals die. Sometimes you find them on the beach. But I don't believe that what I found on the Mississippi beaches in normal . Click here to see what i found from ARPRIL 15-17th. Is the BP oil disaster the cause of these deaths? There is no scientific proof one way or the other. Is there a connection to the oil that spilled and the dispersants that were dropped on the Gulf's surface that spread through the air and have found their way into the blood of many of the oil spill clean up workers? I can't say for sure. It is clear it wont be easy to pin the animail deaths on BP, the corporation responsible for the largest environmental disaster in American history.

So, sticking to the facts, if you want to take photographs of dead animals, including endangered Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, head to the Mississippi beaches. Maybe the tourist industry that just received a generous chunk of money from BP ought to consider a new slogan"Visit our beaches where you can find a dead animals every 100 ft or so." A lot of us are into the macabre, right? The influx of dead animals could draw those into death to the coast which might balance out rooms lost to those concerned with the warnings at the beach warning people that the tar balls from the oil spill may be harmful to your health. Use the beach at your own risk..

To see more of my work on the BP oil disaster check out page on my site here.

Dead Kemp's Ridley Turtles Washing up in MS and an Update from Bay Jimmy

Dead Kemp's Ripley sea turtle in Waveland MS

Dead Kemp's Ridley sea turtle spray painted so it wont be counted twice 

Dead sea turtle left for days next on beach in Waveland MS

Dead Kemp's Ridley sea turtle in Pass Christina MS

Dead Kemp's Ridley sea turtles on the Mississippi beaches, images I kept seeing on Facebook posts, prompted me to check it out for myself. I found four in the course of three hours. The beaches where I found some of the turtles are closed as of Sunday due to high bacteria counts caused by runoff of fecal matter, I've been told, not oil and dispersant.


On Fox 8, a local news station, John Snell recently went out to Bay Jimmy as I did days before to check on the status of the marsh. He and I came back with very different visuals. Snell went out during high-tide, the time when the damage to the coast is hidden under water.I went out low tide after a storm, when the lasting effects of the BP oil spill are best seen. Neither of us came back with the full story. Coastal restoration is a huge issue in Louisiana, one that, like the oil spill, effects the whole nation. The science can't be told in soundbites. The opinions of business owners and politicians are important too, but one has to question the motivation of whoever is speaking. Facts trump opinion and unfortunately not much scientific evidence is available yet or has been shared in the mainstream media . The dolphin die offs are under wraps; researchers are under a standing gag order. During the spill, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had one from the federal government and released more misinformation than fact.


The mess in the Gulf, yeah, it could have been way worse, but that doesn't mean it wasn't and still isn't bad. Who's to say what the lasting effects will be? Who's to judge how much the killing of the marsh grass by the oil and chemical will effect an already disappearing coast line? Why are dozens of endangered Kemp's Ridley turtles washing up dead? I don't have the answers, but I do believe in documenting what I have seen.


In an article by the AP on April 7, 2011 the day before I found the turtles, april 7th 2011 they they said NOAA was pointing the blame at fishing and shrimping boats as the cause of the turtles deaths. In response to the article on line Clint Guidry , president of the Louisiana shrimp association wrote, "Totally and utterly RIDICULOUS! Shrimper's have been using TED's ( turtle excluder devices) for years now, without these turtle mortality rates. This spike in turtle mortality should be placed squarely where it belongs, BP oil disaster and the use of toxic dispersants. What is the limit to the extremes the US agencies will go to protect BP's liability in this oil disaster?"


Before you go to a Gulf Coast beach, you should check government sites to see if the water is safe: That's what the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality suggests. Their reports are meant to protect our health and safety. We rely on government regulatory agencies that check self-policing energy corporations that say they are not putting more pollutants into the environment than are legally permitted. Their work is of the utmost importance. But organizations like Mineral Management Service have grossly failed us. And if you watch tv or read news stories on line, you've seen BP ads telling us they are making the Gulf Coast whole again. How nice if that were true.


I don't have answers to any of the pressing concerns facing the Gulf Coast, but I do know something has failed the endangered Kemp's Ridely turtles and the loggerheads too. That much I know.

Oil in the marsh at Bay Jimmy

Oil remains where marsh grass was killed by the oil in Bay Jimmy

Dead marsh grass in Bay Jimmy

Oil washed further in to the marsh after a storm in Bay Jimmy 

Return Trip to Site Where Oil Coming From Unknown Source Was Found Off Grand Isle

 Emulsified oil 1/2 mile due south of Grande Isle on March 21st 

On March 21, I returned to Elmer's Island and Grand Isle, where the day before I photographed oil and oil sheen washing into Caminada Bay . The Coast Guard confirmed that there was oil on the water on March 21, but still hasn't identified the source. By Monday only a small amount of sheen and foam could be found. Some of the oil had already been cleaned off the beach, some was skimmed, but a lot of what I saw yesterday had already made its way into Caminada Bay, a rich estuary. About half a mile due south of Grand Isle, we encountered  a plume of emulsified oil. Plumes were reported by Jefferson Parish officials during flyovers the day before. Also off shore, we spotted a young dead dolphin, adding to the high number already reported this year by New Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.


This new oil spill raises many questions: What is the source of the oil and is it still leaking? How much of it is there? Could it be connected to the BP disaster? Is it a good idea to restart deepwater drilling? Are the regulators regulating? Why are the polluters often not fined the maximum allowed and why do regulators let some code breakers get away without any penalty? And what is causing an unusually high number of young dolphins to die?  The answers are still up in the air, but the Coast Guard, NOAA and private citizens are all busy trying to get the facts.

Dead young dolphin found floating in the Gulf, cause of death undetermined, adding to the abnormally high dolphin mortality  rate this year. 

Emulsified oil 1/2 mile due south of Grande Isle on March 21st

Boom put out on March 21st across the cut leading into Caminada Bay, an rich estuary. Oil washed through the cut on March 20th. See video clip of oil getting in 

Emulsified oil 1/2 mile due south of Grande Isle on March 21st