FBI

Occupy Cleveland Distances Itself From May Day Bridge Bomb Plot

Ryan J. Reilly | May 2, 2012, 6:01AM

The five alleged anarchists arrested by the FBI Monday night after allegedly plotting to blow up a bridge in the suburbs of Cleveland to send a message to the corporations, the government and the one-percenters were confused.

Accompanied by a source cooperating with the FBI they allegedly drove to Cuyahoga National Park and placed two IEDs at the base of one of the columns of the Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge. They'd known the informant who'd help bring them there since October and thought of him as a friend and someone who shared their beliefs. Several of them also thought of him as an employer: he'd hired several of them for odd jobs in his roofing business.

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Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Movement Stirs Across The Country

Eric Lach | May 1, 2012, 9:48PM

The Occupy Wall Street movement marked May 1, International Workers Day, with demonstrations and gatherings across the country. It was the movement's most visible day since last year, when encampments in major cities were forcibly dismantled.

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Occupy Wall Street

May Day, Occupy Movements Converge For Day Of Protests

Pema Levy | May 1, 2012, 1:59PM

May Day, Protest, Los Angeles, immigration

In Washington and on cable news, Tuesday is the anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden. But elsewhere around the country, protests are raging over issues closer to home.

International Workers Day or May Day generally draws protests from workers rights activists, immigration reform activists and other progressive groups. This year, the Occupy movement has also joined the fray, calling for a "general strike," which a Facebook page describes as "NO WORK - NO SCHOOL - NO SHOPPING - NO BANKING - NO TRADING." Across the country, cities have braced for disruptions as labor, immigration and Occupy activists stage protests in major cities.

In New York, the birthplace of the Occupy Wall Street, protests are planned throughout the city. There are calls to abandon work and head for the streets, including occupying Union Square and a march through Manhattan. In Washington, D.C. protestors have organized a march to the White House.

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Douglas Wright

'May Day' Bridge Bombing Suspect Worried Group Would Be Sent To Gitmo

Ryan J. Reilly | May 1, 2012, 12:10PM

The group of five alleged anarchists who authorities say plotted to blow up a bridge outside of Cleveland in commemoration of the Occupy "May Day" protests switched their plans several times and were suspicious that the undercover agent who sold them fake explosives was, in fact, a cop.

The FBI arrested 26-year-old Douglas L. Wright, 20-year-old Brandon L. Baxter, 35-year-old Anthony Hayne, 20-year-old Connor C. Stevens and 23-year-old Joshua S. Stafford this week for allegedly plotting to use C-4 explosives on the Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge in Ohio.

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Stephen Colbert

Blues Harp Player And His Occupy-Inspired Super PAC 'Riding The Coattails' Of Stephen Colbert

Ryan J. Reilly | December 14, 2011, 8:55AM

Updated: Dec. 14, 6:07PM

Why put off till tomorrow what you can do today?

Perhaps that's what individuals seeking to donate to Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert's political action committee Americans For A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow will be asking themselves if they stumble upon a newly formed -- and similarly named -- super PAC called Americans For A Better Tomorrow, Today.

There's no actual connection between Colbert's 'super PAC' -- which the comedian has used as a means to sarcastically advocate for fewer restrictions on money in politics -- and Americans For A Better Tomorrow Today, which filed its paperwork with the Federal Election Commission last week. But Todd Bailey, custodian of records and treasurer for the new group, said Colbert had "raised a lot of awareness around the issue" and provided his (mostly anonymous) clients with an opportunity.

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Occupy Wall Street

As Police Crackdown On Occupy Protests, Occupy D.C. Has Few Complaints

Ryan J. Reilly | November 16, 2011, 11:50AM

Protestors with the Occupy D.C. movement marched through the nation's capital on Tuesday night to stand up to aggressive police tactics against others in the Occupy movement across the country. But on the local front, they say they don't have much to complain about, as far as the cops go.

While other Occupy protestors from New York to Berkeley have been roughed up by police, activists and law enforcement authorities in the District have been getting along pretty well.

"It's been better than I... I'm not a fan of the police, so I'm almost biting my tongue saying this, but the police have been surprising awesome," Britney Steer told TPM.

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Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert Explains Why The Wealthy Need Yachts To Flee Hordes Of The Poor

David Taintor | November 9, 2011, 10:46AM

Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert is increasingly worried about downtrodden hordes going after him and his wealthy friends. "The barbarians are at the gated communities," Colbert said. "We must be ready to flee at a moment's notice."

So Colbert was comforted by a recent full-page ad in Yachts International magazine. The ad reads, in part: "We used to sell yachts as luxury items. In today's world, they're really a necessity."

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ACORN

Issa Wants Feds To Probe ACORN Role In Occupy Wall Street

Ryan J. Reilly | November 7, 2011, 5:05PM

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) wants federal prosecutors in New York to probe media reports alleging that New York Communities for Change (NYCC) -- "an organization with close tied [sic] to the now-defunct New York chapter of The Association of Community (ACORN) -- engaged in fraud through its participation in the Occupy Wall Street protests."

In a letter to U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta Lynch, Issa writes that it is "alleged that NYCC solicited donations from union members under false pretenses and misappropriated those funds to support the protesters. I hope that your office will investigate these allegations to determine if they have any merit and prosecute any wrongdoing accordingly."

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Occupy Wall Street

Right-Wing Bloggers Use Fake Quotes To Criticize Occupy Wall Street

Jillian Rayfield | November 1, 2011, 5:57AM

Some conservative bloggers were a little too quick to use made-up satirical quotes from supposed Occupy Toronto protesters to make a point about alleged laziness of the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

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Occupy Wall Street

Latest Right-Wing OWS Theory: The Muslim Brotherhood Is Behind Occupy Orlando

Jillian Rayfield | October 24, 2011, 5:15AM

In a development that should surprise no one, some on the right-wing are accusing the Occupy Wall Street movement of having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

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Jared Lee Loughner

Gary Bauer: Jared Lee Loughner 'Would Fit In Well' With Occupy Wall Street

Ryan J. Reilly | October 21, 2011, 12:05PM

Gary Bauer, President of American Values

Remember Gary Bauer? Reagan's Undersecretary of Education, former president of the Family Research Council and Republican presidential candidate? He's got an interesting view on the Occupy Wall Street movement, as he informed supporters of his American Values organization this week.

Recalling the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and the killing of six others, Bauer wrote that the "liberal establishment rushed to judgment and condemned the Tea Party" for the shooting.

"As it turns out, the assassin, Jared Loughner, was an apolitical radical who would fit in well with the Occupy Wall Street movement," Bauer wrote. "A friend told ABC that Loughner was heavily influenced by a movie called 'Zeitgeist.' One left-wing reviewer described the movie as containing three central points: 'Religion in general, and Christianity in particular, are systems of social control. 9/11 was an inside job... And, finally, International Bankers ... control our money and our future...'"

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Occupy Wall Street

DCCC Head Steve Israel: GOP Has 'Hit A New Low,' Questioned My Commitment To Religion

Eric Kleefeld | October 20, 2011, 12:50PM

Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY)

Updated October 20, 2 p.m. ET

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is firing back at an attack from their counterparts at the NRCC, who released a web video Thursday that accused DCCC head Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) of supporting anti-Semitic demonstrators at the Occupy Wall Street protests.

In an e-mail to the DCCC supporter list, Steve Israel declares: "The extreme right wing has launched an outrageous attack to distract us from their reckless economic policies: They are questioning my commitment to my own religion."

He also adds: "They're attacking me to try to silence you -- because they think it's wrong that you're frustrated and even angry about what Republicans are trying to do to this country. The personal attacks they've launched on me for standing with you are nothing in comparison to the hardships faced by middle income families across America every day."

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Occupy Wall Street

NRCC Web Video: DCCC Head Steve Israel 'Stands With' OWS Anti-Semitism

Eric Kleefeld | October 20, 2011, 10:27AM

Republicans are continuing to attack the Occupy Wall Street protests -- singling out elements of radicalism and/or anti-Semitism -- with a new web video from the National Republican Congressional Committee attacking Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY), who heads up their counterparts at the DCCC.

The video cites a New York Post opinion column, to say that "Steve Israel of New York, is urging party members to 'stand with' the demonstrators."

However, this is not actually what the Post column said: "The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, chaired by Rep. Steve Israel of New York, is urging party members to "stand with" the demonstrators." This in turn was referring to an e-mail petition that the DCCC sent to its supporter list, in order to score political points against the House Republican leadership -- not to regular party strategy for the actual politicians.

The video features dramatic music, and news clips of the protests. After showing a parade of socialism, communism, and that guy who stuck his rear end up against a police car, the on-screen text declares: "STEVE ISRAEL STANDS WITH THEM."

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Occupy Wall Street

Right-Wing Blogger: OWS Hashtag Sign Looks A Lot Like A Swastika

Jillian Rayfield | October 19, 2011, 5:31PM

Accusations about anti-Semitism at Occupy Wall Street took a turn for the ridiculous this week when a blogger for the right-wing site Pajamas Media wrote that the hashtag symbol worn by many protesters has "an echo of the swastika."

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RNC

The RNC Jumps On The 'Occupy Wall Street Is Anti-Semitic' Bandwagon

Jillian Rayfield | October 19, 2011, 11:00AM

The Republican National Committee is joining in with the right-wing bloggers who have sought to paint the Occupy Wall Street protesters as an anti-Semitic mob, condemning Democrats who it says "have spent the last week championing the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement, yet in the midst of protestors' extreme anti-Semitic, anti-Israel comments, they've been silent."

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Israel

Charges Of Occupy Wall Street Anti-Semitism Find Audience On The Right

Jillian Rayfield | October 19, 2011, 6:10AM

Is Occupy Wall Street anti-Semitic? Some groups on the political right really want you to think so.

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Occupy Wall Street

Wall Street To Occupy Wall Street: We're Just As Frustrated As You! (VIDEO)

Ryan J. Reilly | October 5, 2011, 10:50AM

Wall Street

Wall Street traders have a message for the "Occupy Wall Street" movement: they get it!

CNN's Alison Kosik reported this morning that she's been talking to traders since the movement started a few weeks ago and they've told her they understand their frustrations.

"They truly empathize and understand the frustrations. They're equally frustrated as the folks out there on the park are right now," Kosik said.

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Michael Bloomberg

Bloomberg: Occupy Wall Street Is Targeting People 'Struggling To Make Ends Meet'

Jillian Rayfield | October 3, 2011, 12:41PM

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg

New York City's billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg thinks the Occupy Wall Street protesters shouldn't be fighting Wall Street, because most of those people are "struggling to make ends meet."

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Anonymous

Pepper Spraying Cop Was Named In Civil Rights Complaints For 2004 Anti-Bush Protests

Jillian Rayfield | September 27, 2011, 1:41PM

Anthony Bologna, the NYPD officer who maced a protester at the Occupy Wall Street rally, was named in several civil rights lawsuits related to arrests made at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

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