USA: Protesters living at the Occupy Wall Street encampment develop infrastructure that provides access to basic resources and creates sense of community

Record ID: 345148

  • Title: USA: Protesters living at the Occupy Wall Street encampment develop infrastructure that provides access to basic resources and creates sense of community
  • Date: 22nd October 2011
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 20, 2011) (REUTERS) MAN SHOUTING "DRUMS ARE THE BEAT OF THE REVOLUTION" DRUMMERS MAN HOLDING SIGN THAT SAYS "ARREST THE BANKERS/JESUS LOVES YOU" VIEW OF ZUCCOTTI PARK PEOPLE SERVING HOT FOOD IN THE "KITCHEN" SOUP BEING LADLED INTO A BOWL PEOPLE IN LINE GETTING GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES (SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER KEATON WEISS SAYING: "They seem to have done a really good job making it a surprisingly livable place. There's food, there's a medical tent, a library, cell phone charging stations. It really is getting ot be a self sustaining thing." SIGN SHOWING WORKING GROUP SCHEDULE AND PERSON SIGNING UP GROUP DISCUSSING THE SCHEDULE PROTESTER CHOOSING CLOTHING FROM A RACK AT THE "COMFORT" STATION PROTESTERS CHOOSING SWEATERS AND SCARVES FROM BOXES BOX OF BOOKS AT THE LIBRARY STATION LIBRARIAN ORGANIZING BOOKS BICYCLE POWERED GENERATOR BEING USED TO CHARGE CELL PHONES AND COMPUTERS NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 19, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PRACTICING KUNDALINI YOGA IN THE "SPIRITUAL" STATION NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 20, 2011) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAUREN DIGIOIA, 26 YEAR OLD OCCUPIER, ORGANIZER OF SANITATION WORKING GROUP, "We are trying to provide shelter for the people who live here but we are not able to do that officially because we are not given the chance to provide structures. Right now we are trying to bag everything so that it can be taken somewhere to be clean. We are folding up all the tarps that we have os that they can be stored and redistributed on a nightly basis." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS FROM THE SANITATION GROUP BAGGING UP BEDDING AND CLOTHING FROM THE "COMFORT" STATION BAGS OF BEDDING AND CLOTHING NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 19, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SLEEPING NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 20, 2011) (REUTERS) SIGN FOR MEDICAL TENT NURSES INSIDE INFIRMARY TENT PATIENTS IN TENT WITH FEET BAGGED UP PROTESTER'S FEET IN BAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAULY KASTORA, STREET MEDIC AND OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTER, SAYING: "As a medical clinic within this occupation we take responsibility for everybody here. We have a team of doctors and nurses and we are actually developing strategies to deal with epidemics and everything that might come out of any large group of people just like any city." SANITATION DEPARTMENT PROTESTER ORGANIZING THE RECYCLING AREA PLASTIC RECYCLING BIN PROTESTER EMPTYING OUT LIQUID FROM BOTTLE TO BE RECYCLED VARIOUS OF PROTESTER SCRUBBING PAVEMENT WITH A BRUSH (SOUNDBITE) (English) JOSH NELSON, OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTER AND GROUP LIAISON, TALKING TO PROTESTER SAYING: "We're working on developing a rotational system so that we can maintain a presence in the park throughout winter without everybody actually having to stay here because staying out in the elements throughout the winter is not really feasible from a safety standpoint so we're trying to address that issue before it becomes a real major concern." SIGN WITH A "GOOD NEIGHBOR" POLICY HANGING IN THE PARK SIGN NEAR BAGS OF BELONGINGS THAT READS "THIS IS MY HOME. PLEASE RESPECT IT. DO NOT MOVE IT. THANKS!" MAN WHOSE BELONGINGS HAVE BEEN STOLEN SAYING "You have no right to take my things. Those are my belongings. The only thing I got left in this world."
  • Embargoed: 6th November 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Finance,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9MRFH0YJCG88OITYLBV3RZOGO
  • Story Text: Images of drummers and chanting protesters gathered on the edge of Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan have become a familiar site. But inside the park, a different scene has emerged.
    Since the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protests began over a month ago, demonstrators have made the plaza their home away from home.
    Lining the block long encampment one can find a kitchen, a medical tent, a library, a spiritual corner and a comfort station that provides clothing, blankets and tarps to keep demonstrators warm.
    "They seem to have done a really good job making it a surprisingly livable place," said Keaton Weiss, who was at the park with his family handing out buttons.
    "There's food, there's a medical tent, a library, cell phone charging stations. It really is getting to be a self sustaining thing."
    The only facilities that are noticeably missing are the toilets, which the group has not yet been able to attain permits for.
    According to protesters the infrastructure system evolved organically as items were raised at the movement's nightly General Assembly meetings. After discussion and voting, working groups were formed to handle various areas of concern.
    Stations are manned on a volunteer basis. There are no assigned leaders heading up any one area, yet there are individuals who say they have "a lot of responsibility," and who shepherd the organizational process.
    One of those is Lauren Digoia, a 26-year-old from New Jersey who is an organizer on the sanitation committee. Digoia is one of the eight active members who live on-site.
    After heavy rains poured down on the park earlier this week, Digoia was busy trying to prevent mildew from growing on clothing and tarps.
    "We are trying to provide shelter for the people who live here but we are not able to do that officially because we are not given the chance to provide structures. Right now we are trying to bag everything so that it can be taken somewhere to be clean. We are folding up all the tarps that we have so that they can be stored and redistributed on a nightly basis."
    The sanitation group is also working to battle unsanitary conditions. In addition to tarp collecting, some members are sweeping and scrubbing the concrete, while others have set out to minimize the environmental impact by establishing a recycling center.
    The protesters have squared off against the police and the city but perhaps their biggest challenge will be overcoming the weather. On the morning Reuters visited the medical tent, nurses said they had already treated 10 cases of hypothermia that morning.
    Pauly Kastora is a "street medic" who helps run the medical tent. Kastora said the team is concerned about the approaching flu season as well as a possible outbreak of scabies.
    "As a medical clinic within this occupation we take responsibility for everybody here. We have a team of doctors and nurses and we are actually developing strategies to deal with epidemics and everything that might come out of any large group of people just like any city."
    Twenty seven-year-old Josh Nelson has been living in the plaza for almost a month. The student and bartender traveled to New York from Denver to participate in the protest and has been actively involved as a facilitator since he arrived.
    Nelson explained that as the cold weather approaches, the protesters are thinking about their next step.
    "We're working on developing a rotational system so that we can maintain a presence in the park throughout winter without everybody actually having to stay here because staying out in the elements throughout the winter is not really feasible from a safety standpoint. So we're trying to address that issue before it becomes a real major concern."
    So far, Occupy Wall Street has estimated that several hundred protesters have been living in the park, although as Nelson pointed out impending cold weather could see that number lessen in the coming months.
    In the meantime, demonstrators are trying to instill a Good Neighbor Policy that calls for a limit on drumming hours and does not tolerate theft or drug use in the plaza.
    It seems however, that there are still some kinks in the OWS system that need to be worked out.
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