Occupy Seattle
Encyclopedia
Occupy Seattle is a direct action and demonstration
currently based at Seattle Central Community College
with additional activity at Westlake Park
and Seattle City Hall
in downtown Seattle, Washington
. Occupy Seattle is inspired by the Occupy Wall Street
protests in New York City
in September
, which in turn was inspired by the Arab Spring
. The protest, like the one in New York, is against wealth inequality, perceived corporate greed, and corruption
in the banking and economic systems in the United States
. Seattle is famous for the 1999 WTO Battle in Seattle protests.
in downtown Seattle on September 26, 2011 and camping at Westlake Park on October 1. The camp moved to Seattle Central Community College (SCCC) on October 29, 2011 and the nightly General Assembly moved to SCCC on November 4, 2011. Some facilities and camping are also located at Seattle City Hall.
According to a news report, the City of Seattle has spent an extra $104,869 as of October 14, 2011 in response to the protest for overtime pay for police and parks & recreation personnel. Police overtime pay comprised the majority of overtime expenses at $97,200.
Ten protesters were arrested for obstructing on the evening of October 13 after refusing to vacate Westlake Park after it had closed. On October 15, the Occupy Seattle movement had its largest demonstration to date, with over 3,000 people rallying in Westlake Park.
On the morning of October 17, 2011, Seattle police informed campers at Westlake Park that tents had to be removed for city personnel to clean the park. It was reported that during this incident six demonstrators who didn't comply with the order were arrested.
The city of Seattle issued permits for Occupy Seattle on October 18, 2011, which limits camping at Westlake Park and enforces the park's closure at 10:00 PM. Another permit for protests occurring at Seattle's city hall plaza allows camping with the stipulation that tents are to be deconstructed by 7:00 AM. It was reported that police are enforcing a rule in Westlake Park in which umbrellas are only allowed to be used while being held, and are not allowed to be used as tent-like shelters.
Occupy Seattle protesters and police briefly clashed in protests sparked by Chase CEO Jamie Dimon
's visit to town. Five protesters were arrested for occupying the bank for over an hour (linking together via chain and pieces of PVC and facing out from the tellers). In the events that followed, a dozen or more demonstrators sat in front of the police van to prevent it from moving and were eventually pulled away; numerous protesters were pepper-sprayed
, two police officers and multiple protesters sustained minor injuries, and at least three further protesters were arrested.
Dorli Rainey was notably photographed as she was being carried away by friends after having been hit with the police's chemical spray.
Occupy articles
Other Protests
Related articles
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
currently based at Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Central Community College
Seattle Central Community College is a community college located in Seattle, Washington, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. It is one of the three colleges which make up the Seattle Community College District...
with additional activity at Westlake Park
Westlake Park (Seattle)
Westlake Park is a public plaza in downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. Extending east from 4th Avenue up to and including a former portion of Westlake Avenue between Pike and Pine Streets, it is across Pine Street from the Westlake Center shopping mall, which is the southern terminus of the Seattle...
and Seattle City Hall
Seattle City Hall
Seattle City Hall is located in downtown Seattle, Washington, between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue. The building houses the offices of the Seattle City Council and the Mayor of Seattle. Most city departments are located in the nearby Seattle Municipal Tower...
in downtown Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. Occupy Seattle is inspired by the Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
protests in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in September
September
September is the 9th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with a length of 30 days.September in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of March in the Northern Hemisphere....
, which in turn was inspired by the Arab Spring
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
. The protest, like the one in New York, is against wealth inequality, perceived corporate greed, and corruption
Corruption
Corruption usually refers to spiritual or moral impurity.Corruption may also refer to:* Corruption , an American crime film* Corruption , a British horror film...
in the banking and economic systems in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Seattle is famous for the 1999 WTO Battle in Seattle protests.
Overview
Occupy Seattle began with a protest at the Federal BuildingHenry M. Jackson Federal Building
The Henry M. Jackson Federal Building is a 37-story United States Federal Government skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington. Located on the block bounded by Marion and Madison Streets and First and Second Avenues, the building was completed in 1974 and won the Honor Award of the American...
in downtown Seattle on September 26, 2011 and camping at Westlake Park on October 1. The camp moved to Seattle Central Community College (SCCC) on October 29, 2011 and the nightly General Assembly moved to SCCC on November 4, 2011. Some facilities and camping are also located at Seattle City Hall.
According to a news report, the City of Seattle has spent an extra $104,869 as of October 14, 2011 in response to the protest for overtime pay for police and parks & recreation personnel. Police overtime pay comprised the majority of overtime expenses at $97,200.
Ten protesters were arrested for obstructing on the evening of October 13 after refusing to vacate Westlake Park after it had closed. On October 15, the Occupy Seattle movement had its largest demonstration to date, with over 3,000 people rallying in Westlake Park.
On the morning of October 17, 2011, Seattle police informed campers at Westlake Park that tents had to be removed for city personnel to clean the park. It was reported that during this incident six demonstrators who didn't comply with the order were arrested.
The city of Seattle issued permits for Occupy Seattle on October 18, 2011, which limits camping at Westlake Park and enforces the park's closure at 10:00 PM. Another permit for protests occurring at Seattle's city hall plaza allows camping with the stipulation that tents are to be deconstructed by 7:00 AM. It was reported that police are enforcing a rule in Westlake Park in which umbrellas are only allowed to be used while being held, and are not allowed to be used as tent-like shelters.
Occupy Seattle protesters and police briefly clashed in protests sparked by Chase CEO Jamie Dimon
Jamie Dimon
James "Jamie" Dimon is a business executive. He is the current chairman, president and chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, and previously served as a Class A director of the Board of Directors of the New York Federal Reserve, a three year term which started January 2007...
's visit to town. Five protesters were arrested for occupying the bank for over an hour (linking together via chain and pieces of PVC and facing out from the tellers). In the events that followed, a dozen or more demonstrators sat in front of the police van to prevent it from moving and were eventually pulled away; numerous protesters were pepper-sprayed
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
, two police officers and multiple protesters sustained minor injuries, and at least three further protesters were arrested.
Police pepper-spray crowds, Dorli Rainey
Police were filmed indiscriminately spraying a crowd of people with pepper spray. It was reported that the victims included "a 4-foot 10-inch, 84-year-old woman, a priest and a pregnant woman who as of this writing is still in the hospital." The 84-year-old woman, Dorli Rainey, is a former mayoral candidate and retired school teacher who has been active in City government on education and transportation issues since the 1960s. That night, Rainey was enroute to City Hall to attend a scheduled meeting of the Seattle City Council's Transportation Committee. Rainey had served on the school board, and in 1970s ran for a seat on King County Council. In 2009, Rainey, then 82 years old, made a brief run for Seattle Mayor before withdrawing from the race citing her age: "I am old and should learn to be old, stay home, watch TV and sit still."Dorli Rainey was notably photographed as she was being carried away by friends after having been hit with the police's chemical spray.
See also
Occupy articles
- List of global Occupy protest locations
- Occupy movementOccupy movementThe Occupy movement is an international protest movement which is primarily directed against economic and social inequality. The first Occupy protest to be widely covered was Occupy Wall Street in New York City, taking place on September 17, 2011...
- Timeline of Occupy Wall StreetTimeline of Occupy Wall StreetThe following is a timeline of Occupy Wall Street which began on Saturday, September 17, 2011 as an occupation of Wall Street, the financial district of New York City and is an ongoing demonstration....
- We are the 99%
Other Protests
- 15 October 2011 global protests15 October 2011 global protestsThe 15 October 2011 global protests were part of a series of protests inspired by the Arab Spring, the Spanish "Indignants", the Greek Protests and the Occupy movement. Global demonstrations were held on October 15 in more than 950 cities 82 countries. The date was chosen to coincide with the 5...
- 2011 United States public employee protests2011 United States public employee protestsIn February 2011, a series of public employee protests began in the United States against proposed legislation which would weaken the power of labor unions. By March, eighteen states had proposed legislation which would remove some collective bargaining powers from unions, along with another five...
- 2011 Wisconsin protests2011 Wisconsin protestsThe 2011 Wisconsin protests were a series of demonstrations in the state of Wisconsin in the United States beginning in February involving at its zenith as many as 100,000 protestors opposing the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill. Subsequently, anti-tax activists and other conservatives, including tea...
Related articles
- Arab SpringArab SpringThe Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
- Corruption Perceptions IndexCorruption Perceptions IndexSince 1995, Transparency International publishes the Corruption Perceptions Index annually ranking countries "by their perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The CPI generally defines corruption as "the misuse of public power for private...
- Economic inequalityEconomic inequalityEconomic inequality comprises all disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income. The term typically refers to inequality among individuals and groups within a society, but can also refer to inequality among countries. The issue of economic inequality is related to the ideas of...
- Grassroots movementGrassrootsA grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
- Income inequality in the United StatesIncome inequality in the United StatesIncome inequality in the United States of America refers to the extent to which income is distributed in an uneven manner in the US. Data from the United States Department of Commerce, CBO, and Internal Revenue Service indicate that income inequality among households has been increasing...
- LobbyingLobbyingLobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
- PlutocracyPlutocracyPlutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth. The combination of both plutocracy and oligarchy is called plutarchy. The word plutocracy is derived from the Ancient Greek root ploutos, meaning wealth and kratos, meaning to rule or to govern.-Usage:The term plutocracy is generally...
- Tea Party protests
- Wealth inequality in the United StatesWealth inequality in the United StatesWealth inequality in the United States, also known as the "wealth gap", refers to the unequal distribution of financial assets among residents of the United States. Wealth includes the values of homes, automobiles, businesses, savings, and investments. Those who acquire a great deal of financial...