The march that Occupy Hartford has planned for Saturday has provoked Mayor Segarra to issue a press release for the occasion:
It has come to my attention that Occupy Hartford is coordinating a large march and rally on Saturday and is inviting fellow Occupy movements from around the region to join them. I fully appreciate and respect the right to assemble, protest and petition one’s government and I have consistently instructed City departments and employees to treat all “Occupiers” with the utmost respect. That order continues to stand.
Nevertheless, as Mayor, I have a responsibility to ensure public health and safety and I have directed city staff to regularly meet with and ensure the safety of participants and the community. In turn, Occupy Hartford has demonstrated that they recognize that open flames and kerosene heaters are not permissible, while also attempting to keep the site as sanitary as possible.It is my expectation that Saturday’s event will preserve the respectful and understanding relationship that has been built.
As we continue our efforts to return to normalcy after a historic and horrific snow storm, I sincerely hope that no one – whether from Hartford, the region or visitors from out of state – believes that Saturday’s event should represent a migration away from a very important message to instead attempting to create a hostile or confrontational situation with public safety personnel. Connecticut’s Capital City will not tolerate selfish, belligerent or antagonistic behavior; it is not befitting of this effort or the residents who have been so accommodating throughout.
Since the beginning of the “occupation” in Hartford, members of the community, and now the Mayor, have been urging activists to calm down and show respect for those who actually occupy the city of Hartford all year round. Most have been level-headed and cordial, but some of the activists involved have been on edge, and occasionally antagonistic, toward City personnel who have been providing activists with health and safety advice.
One wonders if there is a Miss Manners for activists. If not, there ought to be one to dispense with useful advice like (1) above all else, respect the community. You are guests. (2) Learn about the structure of City government and how the particularly city you are in supports activists. Hartford is not the same as Oakland. It’s not New York City. It’s not Boston. It’s Hartford. Learn how Hartford typically deals with protest before jumping to any conclusions. (3) Respect the workers.
Richard
Starting to shake in their boots? Sorry fellas we forgot to invite those big bad anarchists from Oakland to come on over and have some fun. So don’t worry or chew your nails.
After reading the Mayors letter I thought right out loud the song Under My Thumb. Breaking a window heavens, these fingers and hands, arms and legs of the 1% (we know its more) can get away with anything they want but heaven forbid someone breaks a window or spays a message on a wall. Good little lambs stay in line, in the box we put you in and everything will be just fine.
Now don’t get me wrong I love peace and kissy kiss as much as the next fellow but this fight should not be a playground nor a lovey dovey circle. I must continue to respect a diversity of tactics or as brother Malcom X said, “by any means necessary.” I will just keep looking up incase the powers that be send in a drone or two.
P.S HA HA HA, Don’t worry I am staying home on Saturday but wish real art well if it dares to pop up its head. Oh yes, Miss Manners is needed, needed, needed as we believe that we will still need our manners after the revolution and we will not forgot to bring the napkins. We promise.
Karen
Not to sound rude, but, if I,m sitting in a line for gas in my car with a kid? Knocking on my window and making the “roll down” motion wigs me out, regardless of who you are. Respect privacy, please. My introverted nature freaks out.
Kerri Provost
What is this in response to?
Karen
It was in response to you ( and agreement with you) saying they need to be respectful in last paragraph. And yes, on Tuesday, outside one of the gas stations on Albany, they were walking up to cars, knocking on windows while we were at a standstill, handing flyers through the windows, and lecturing about corpaorate evil. I really just wanted to fill my tank.
Kerri Provost
I’m not being snarky. I really want to know. With the traffic jam near me, I’d seen people knocking on windows to panhandle, but I did not know activists might have been doing this.
In any case, unless there is something to be pointed out to the person driving (car has flat tire, car is spewing fire) or an emergency request needs to be made (call an ambulance for pedestrian, etc.), I also think it is in bad form to do this.
Erik
No worries…Bank of America is closed on Saturday. There may be a branch or two open until noon but, there won’t be anyone in corporate offices. That’s what happens when you pick a date of a religious rebellion—made popular in a film—the symbol of your cause. The date becomes more important to the organizers than the actual visibility.
Furthermore, Bank Transfer Day (same date; same symbolism)—most banks (certainly credit unions) are closed on Saturdays and transactions over the weekend won’t complete until the following Tuesday (at the earliest). It also takes time to close down your old account. Make sure all of your direct deposits and bill payments have been successfully switched over.
I switched over to a local credit union on Thursday and I had to fix a problem on Friday (they put a “M” for my middle initial rather than a “W”.) So, now I have to wait for my new debit card & checks to come in with a “M”, turn them in, and then get new ones reissued. Small problems like that are the kind of issues you may have to contend with. So, don’t expect to have everything done in a day.
Kerri Provost
Is it wrong to feel smug about never using a large, impersonal bank to begin with? I’ve never once had a hassle with Farmington Bank or Rockville Bank.
Erik
Yes—(just kidding).
Bigger banks tend to be more convenient. I opened an account Fleet Bank 15 years ago because it was located on the University of Hartford campus. If the university offered a credit union (like most schools) I would have gone with that. My first bank was Northern Schools Federal Credit Union in Fairbanks, Alaska during my one semester attending UAF.
Kerri Provost
I can see how the credit union in Fairbanks might be a little inconvenient now.
lobonick
an interesting response from the mayor. his first actually in terms of the occupy hartford movement. some good for both sides. a bit of support in terms of the “Order” that occupiers are to be treated with respect. interesting that an official order is required in terms of treating people with respect, but the symbolism is good.
but also some hard lines as to the “rules” at the occupation. and a warning that hostile behavior will be dealt with in a severe fashion. hostile is easy to understand, but confrontational is open a bit more to interpretation.
still finally a response from the mayor. understandable that the mayor didn’t want anything to do with the occupation in a public fashion due to the upcoming election. anything good or bad on that front would just be a distraction as he is about to get voted in. whatever has been going on behind the scenes with the city of hartford and occupy hartford is anybody’s guess…
Kerri Provost
I think I summed it up well last night when talking to you. Paraphrase of press release: Look, I support what you are doing, but don’t be jerks.
lobonick
today’s march was quite peaceful..
Kerri Provost
In spite of some rhetoric spewed by one person, which could have easily been construed as attempting to instigate something. I am not saying that I necessarily agree or disagree with the sentiment, but to utter “let’s seize the banks” in front of a bank, at a march billed as family-friendly when there are actual children around…that seems selfish, inconsiderate of those attending with children, and just thoughtless. It’s a good thing that the HPD was level-headed in their response (which was none) to that one individual’s nonsense.
Kerri Provost
In all of that, I think what was almost overlooked was the woman who had gone inside, closed her account, and announced it…which was supposed to be the point of Bank Transfer Day. I’d like to see better strategy, more thought put into who gets to be the “spokesperson” at such events. If the rhetoric is “we are the 99%,” then don’t go out of the way to alienate those who are actually in that 99%.
Richard
Yeah don’t be jerks as I got the power of all law on my side. Even if I support you I can bury you with my big feet of law and order. Even though the 1% rapes and plunders not only the planet but the folks living on it, do not get out of hand and break a window or you will be swallowing some tear gas or get a night stick up side your head.
I suppose once the real revolution starts the mayor who is nothing more than a finger of the 1% will have to be called up and told get the *!^% out of the way we are rolling through just because he has been so nice and tolerant of Occupy Hartford. Makes me want to puke and join another planet.