"When decorum is repression, the only dignity free men have is to speak out"

[proud patriot]

Abbie Hoffman

The first time you may have seen me was in the gallery of the New York Stock Exchange, hurling money on the brokers below. Of course, you didn’t actually see me because no photographs of the incident exist: newsmen are not allowed to enter the sacred temple of commerce.

It all began with a simple telephone call to the Stock Exchange. I arranged for a tour, giving one of my favorite pseudonyms, George Metesky, the notorious mad bomber of Manhattan. Then I scraped together three hundred dollars which I changed into crispy one-dollar bills, rounded up fifteen free spirits, which in those days just took a few phone calls, and off we went to Wall Street.

We didn’t call the press; at that time we really had no notion of anything called a media event. (And to make one very important point, I never performed for the media. I tried to reach people. It was not acting. It was not some media muppet show. That is a cynical interpretation of history.) We just took our places in line with the tourists, although our manner of dress did make us a little conspicuous. The line moved its way past glassed-in exhibits depicting the rise of the industrial revolution and the glorification of the world of commerce. Then the line turned the comer. Suddenly, we saw hordes of reporters and cameras. Somebody must have realized a story was in the making and rung up one of the wire services. In New York the press can mobilize in a matter of minutes. Faster than police, often.

(snip)

http://theanarchistlibrary.org/HTML/Abbie_Hoffman__Museum_of_the_Streets.html

[NYC_SKP]

1. ROFL! "Stock brokers scrambled over the floor like worried mice, scurrying after the money."

and..

"No Hippies on Easter Sunday"

Oh, my ribs are killin' me.

It's sad, but it hilarious, too!

K/R

[Bluenorthwest]

2. I recommend all of Abbie's books...

not just for the history, but for his writing style, which jumps off the page with a natural humor and playfulness. He was a great activist, and a hell of a funny writer.

[proud patriot]

3. the movie Steal this Movie about his life is Wonderful

I got to shake his hand back in 87 when I was 16 yrs old.

[WillyT]

4. Off To The Greatest Page !!! - K & R !!!

:kick:

:hi:

:loveya:

[proud patriot]

5. Thanks buddy .. hows things?

[Zorra]

6. Abbie should be required reading for OWS students.

Great post, thanks.