Occupy Everywhere & Economic News Round-Up

An Occupy Wall Street demonstrator is pushed out of the way by police officers as they make an arrest during what protest organizers called a day of action in New York November 17, 2011. New York police prevented protesters from shutting down Wall Street on Thursday, arresting more than 200 people in repeated clashes with an unexpectedly small but spirited Occupy Wall Street rally. [Reuters Pictures]

Here's some of what I've been reading this morning...

New York Times—200 Are Arrested as Protesters Clash With the Police:

Thousands of protesters across the country flooded streets, squares, bridges and banks on Thursday, snarling traffic and often clashing with the police in a show of support for the Occupy Wall Street movement, two months to the day after the demonstration began.

In Lower Manhattan, protesters tossed aside metal barricades to converge again on Zuccotti Park after failing in an attempt to shut down the New York Stock Exchange. In Los Angeles, more than 20 protesters were arrested after ignoring orders to vacate streets. In Denver, 100 protesters marched by government buildings and intersections, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Organized weeks ago, the so-called day of action came two days after the police cleared the Occupy Wall Street encampment from Zuccotti Park in Manhattan in an early morning raid. After the protesters were ousted from the park that had become their de facto headquarters, a judge agreed that they could return later that day, albeit without their camping gear. They looked to Thursday to gauge the support and mettle that the movement had retained.

"We failed to close the stock exchange, but we took back our park," said Adam Farooqui, 25, of Queens. "That was a real victory."

Reuters—Authorities foil NY protest bid to shut Wall Street:

After tempers among police and protesters flared throughout the day, crowds grew larger and more festive after dark.

"This is a great night for a revolution. I've never seen anything like this in my entire life," said Daniel Reynolds, 34, a financial analyst at a venture capital firm, who joined the protests for the first time on Thursday.

Democracy Now!—Paramilitary Policing of Occupy Wall Street: Excessive Use of Force amidst the New Military Urbanism: Video with transcript at link.

Aren't you just DESPERATE to know what Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich think of Occupy Wall Street?! Of course you are! Aren't you just SHOCKED to hear that they don't like it?! What a surprisey-surprise! Herman Cain naturally thinks that the Occupy Wall Street protestors are "trying to destroy the greatest nation in the world," and Newt Gingrich, professional hater of democracy, obviously took the familiar route of demonizing citizen action, suggesting protestors should be jailed, and echoing Cain's sentiment by accusing OWS protestors of wanting "to tear down our country." What a thrilling exhibition of cutting-edge conservative thought!

Speaking of which...

CNN—Bachmann gives students a 101 on issues, then gets lectured:

With the air of a college instructor, Michele Bachmann essentially gave college students a Conservative 101 on the economy, national and foreign affairs and other important issues on Thursday in Iowa. But when the Republican presidential candidate took questions, some students turned the tables on their lecturer, peppering her with tough questions.

...As she criticized specifics of the nation's health care law, one student shouted: "So screw the sick and homeless?"

"Who said that?" Bachmann asked.

"You have," the student said.

"You could not be further from the truth," Bachmann shot back. "You're looking at someone who lived below poverty. Have you ever lived at that?"

Bachmann continued: "I know what I had to do. I got a job. That's what you need to do. You need to figure out how to get a job and make your way."

BOOTSTRAPS!!!

Paul Krugman checks in with SuperCongress.

Sarah Palin talks nonsense.

Newt Gingrich is a corporate shill. Who knew!

As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to leave links to stuff you're reading/writing in comments.