Reporting on Occupy Wall Street-Rising tensions

Posted by Marlon Krieger Photography October 24, 2011

Reporting on Occupy Wall Street-Rising tensions

Occupy Wall Street seems to be suffering from a weakening core, a core that is being diluted by rif-raf. Like a concentrated juice mixed with water it is loosing its tang, but don't write it off just yet.

Tensions seem to be rising in the park. A number of vagrants indifferent to the message of the original occupation have moved into Zuccotti Park changing the atmosphere. Theft and angry confrontations are on the rise as well as aggressive language, usually having nothing to do with opinions on politics or grievances due to such but rather surrounding petty interactions: Line cutting, shoulder bumping and the like, like children at a concert or cafeteria. There are repeat offenders who seem to be antagonizing and at the center of many social issues as well as those exerting a considerate amount of energy to diffusing these situations with hugs large smiles and kindly spoken words meant to disarm. One Occupy Wall Street member told me "It seems the dynamic of the park is changing, the bottom half has mostly been taken over by the vagrants and trouble makers who are here only for a free lunch while the top half are mostly the movement.."

Part of the problem, it would seem, is space. Home base for Occupy Wall Street has become too small. How many people would join the overnighters if this was central park for instance or any area that could more comfortably support the swelling number of people. Instead you have a few hard-core idealists watered down by people looking for the "amenities” and the benefits of being among the protestors such as free food, ample targets for theft and social interaction. The majority of those will real ideas and expressible issues come by day and find themselves misplaced by growing number of pushy overnighters.

There is without a doubt energy being sucked out of the movement right now and its time for a uniting event such as a major march to bring the 99% who aren't able to be at the park 24 hours a day back down and show their camaraderie. Too much pent up energy aimed at each other and too many insincere trouble makers.