Dr. Cornel West arrested at Supreme Court in Washington DC

[kpete]

Source: Daily Kos

Sun Oct 16, 2011 at 03:44 PM PDT
Dr. Cornel West arrested at Supreme Court in Washington DC

by mimiFollow


At 2 pm today Dr. Cornel West appeared at Freedom Plaza in Washington DC and gave a spicy, fun and great agitating speech full of love, wit and wisdom. I would say there were around 250 - 300 people in the audience. After the speech he decided spontaneously to march to the Supreme Court. This march was not planned, at least most of the audience had no idea that this would happen.

In the speech he already jokingly said he has come today to Freedom Plaza and to Washington DC, because he finally wanted to get arrested in DC to make the sacrifice Martin Luther King was expecting from him in the fight for justice and freedom.

Before his speech they announced there would be a discussion group about racism and faith in one of the tents, after the speech one of the organizers said that Dr. West had decided to march to the Supreme Court in Washington DC to hold up a political sign on the front stairs of the court.

Read more: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/16/1027099/-Dr-Cornel-West-arrested-at-Supreme-Court-in-Washington-DC?via=siderec

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/16/cornel-west-supreme-court-arrest_n_1014540.html
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/activist-west-arrested-supreme-court-protest-14749504
VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQNH4wphca0&feature=player_embedded
http://october2011.org/blogs/margaret-flowers/dr-cornel-west-and-14-others-arrested-protesting-corporate-power-us-supreme-c



The movement released a pressed release concerning the arrest:

It is rumored that he will be held overnight in jail, as the courts are worried that he will not show up in the morning. Seems a little crazy to us, but that is what we are hearing.

The October2011.org Movement that is occupying Freedom Plaza, led an impromptu march of 250 people up Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S.Supreme Court where Dr. Cornel West climbed on the steps of the Supreme Court and denounced court decisions that have produced money-based elections that empower corporations. Dr. West was holding a sign that said “Poverty is the Greatest Violence of All.” He was arrested because holding political signs on the Supreme Court steps is illegal.

Dr. West spoke to more than 500 people on Freedom Plaza where he said that “if Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were alive today, he would be on Freedom Plaza.” West described how the struggle against, poverty, war and injustice continues and confidence that the people will succeed. He applauded the occupation as “an inclusive social revolution for all of us” and a “leaderless-leader-filled movement” where people are “finding their own political voices rather than echoing others.”

Kevin Zeese, an organizer of October2011.org said: “It is a fitting tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for Dr. West and the others to risk arrest protesting the unfair wealth divide and the Supreme Court empowering money over voters. In the battle for a real, participatory democracy getting money out of politics is a critical step.”

October2011.org seeks to end corporate rule and shift power to the people. The occupation of Freedom Plaza began on October 6th, the beginning of the 11th year of the Afghanistan War and a new federal fiscal year that promises austerity for everything except militarism and war. Among those arrested with Dr. West were Tarak Kauff of Veterans for Peace, Ellen Davidson of the Indypendent newspaper, filmmaker Dennis Trainor, Jr. and Maria Allwine an independent political activist. The movement towards economic justice continues…


Read more: http://www.askkissy.com/2011/10/16/dr-cornell-west-arrested/#ixzz1b0G8HALl

[chollybocker]

1. We are winning.

Thank you, Dr. West, for your sacrifice, both real and symbolic. And to every other Occupyer around the world, especially those reading this from inside of a wet, dank tent, in a rainy park somewhere on this planet; 'WE' are going to win. 'WE' are the 99%, due for a major upset.

[grasswire]

2. how is that message a "political sign"?

"Poverty is the Greatest Violence of All.”

That's political?

[kestrel91316]

4. Honey, he was arrested for Having An Opinion While Black.

The result would be the same if the sign read "Water is Wet".

[Major Hogwash]

3. Enjoy your cold shower, Dr West.

Nothing will be gained from it, but I know you will squeeze every last drop of publicity out of it.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BeHereNow]

6. What the hell does that mean anyway?

I'm wondering what you are trying to say.
Could you elaborate or are you just disgruntled in general
and happened to let it out on this thread?
Confused as to your motive in trashing CW.
BHN

[TBF]

13. CW has been critical of POTUS in the past -

so the supporters throw him under the bus and otherwise trash him ad nauseum ...

[BeHereNow]

18. Okay- thanks for the explanation.

Sometimes I forget that as citizens of a free republic,
supposedly based in democracy, that no criticism is tolerated...
:eyes:
Shame on Cornell, eh?
Sheesh.
Everybody knows the SCOTUS is corrupt and responsible
for moving us to a full on multi national corporatist banana republic
so I appreciate Cornell West for pointing it out and being
willing to be arrested for it and for criticizing our government
when it is clearly needed.

BHN

[Supersedeas]

25. same here

[SusanaMontana41]

32. Me, too. nt

[TBF]

12. Brother West was thrown under that big 'ole Obama bus years ago -

how dare he get up and have the audacity to protest. He was supposed to crawl under a rock and die!

:patriot:

[Major Hogwash]

20. You can use Google or Bing to find what else West said about Obama.

He has a thing called "Black Agenda Report".

He went on Ed Schultz' program in the spring, in March or April, and called Obama "a house nigger".

So, he spent a night in jail.
Big deal.

He wasn't thrown under the Obama bus years ago, he crawled in front of it when it ran over him.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[xchrom]

7. Recommend

[EFerrari]

8. K&R

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Yon_Yonson]

10. It’s illegal to carry a protest sign but pay offs are A-OK

It’s illegal to hold a sign but corporate amerika can buy all the influence it needs from the court and that’s legal. We are truly one fucked up nation!

Attaboy Dr. West :yourock:

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. It's illegal to hold a "political" sign on property WE paid for!

"THEY" make stupid rules about OUR property.

I hope he sues them for false arrestment.
Not to mention the insult of holding him overnight as a flight risk.

[Matariki]

11. You're a great man Brother West

:patriot:

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. Holding a "political" sign on the steps of the Supreme Court is so threatening to the TPTB

hat they made a law against it.

Think about that for a minute.

The irony of that has me shaking my head all too early this morning.

[canuckledragger]

17. K & R

[Dont call me Shirley]

19. So speaking truth on the steps of SC is illegal but Citizen's United is legal?!

[swilton]

21. Cornell West

One of the few who walk the talk! May we all follow him!

[PA Democrat]

22. Silly protesters. The way to send a political message to the Supreme Court

is to pay for an expensive junket, like to a Koch brothers gathering. Money talks, baby. People should just STFU unless they have money to pay for that "free" speech.

[in_cog_ni_to]

23. He was arrested for holding a damn sign on the steps of the SC? WTF?

That's such bullshit! Is it now illegal to stand on the steps of the court?

[TBF]

24. Wait until you see what they do if you try to close your bank account ... nt

[PeaceNikki]

26. Was there a cell big enough to hold his ego?

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PeaceNikki]

29. lol, no.

I stole that from musician and writer Eli Braden: http://twitter.com/#!/EliBraden/status/125712875070291968

[DCKit]

28. Meow!!!! nt

[EFerrari]

34. How dare he call out the corruption of the Supreme Court.

Who does he think he is?

[Vattel]

30. K & R

[defendandprotect]

31. kr

[inna]

33. omg. missed that piece of news completely.