‘Bloombergville’ brings world attention to massive cuts, layoffs
Published Jun 22, 2011 10:08 PM
June 18, New York City Hall.
WW photo: Brenda Sandburg
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By Dee Knight
Bloombergville, New York City
June 19 — Launched on the heels of a massive public workers’ rally
on June 14, and inspired by gigantic occupations of public squares in Egypt,
Tunisia, Spain, Greece and Wisconsin, the Bloombergville encampment near New
York’s City Hall has withstood police intimidation and inclement weather
to mount a spirited and sustained protest against the current onslaught of
anti-people budget cuts in New York City and state.
Bloombergville harks back to the “Hoovervilles” of the first years
of the Great Depression, which were a response to the cold indifference of the
pro-rich president. Hoover ignored the suffering of millions who lost their
jobs and homes due to Wall Street speculators driven by capitalist greed.
Bloombergville is also inspired by “Walkervilles” that have sprung
up around the state of Wisconsin, protesting Gov. Walker’s attacks on
workers’ rights to collective bargaining and efforts to impose austerity
there.
Bloombergville’s second day was marked by a massive march of New
York’s construction trades workers, more than 25,000 strong. They made
history twice in a single day: first by enthusiastic solidarity with the
Bloombergville protesters, and then by a bold breakout from police barriers
meant to cage them in and blunt their protest. Both cases were a break from the
past.
Observers compared this new mood to the days of Vietnam War-era protests, when
President Nixon used a handful of right-wing, all-white construction workers to
bash protesters and drive a wedge between them in the public eye. This time the
workers were neither all-white nor right-wing and readily found common cause
with the Bloombergville protesters.
Building solidarity at home, abroad
Workers World spoke with a participant in the construction trades march, Sherry
Cruz, an apprentice member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers Local 3: “This is so cool that we’re getting together with
Bloombergville. If we can get united and stay united, we’ll
win!”
Bloombergville protesters are mainly young students, but they have been
supported by both members and leaders of American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees District Council 37, the Professional Staff Congress of
City University of New York, and the Transport Workers Union Local 100. Each
group has provided food and other support to the protest encampment.
The activist group Picture the Homeless has played a strong, leading role based
on its long experience with this type of protest. PTH has also helped keep the
encampment legal in the face of police harassment.
Lynn Lewis, PTH director, made it clear from the start that as long as tents or
other structures are not used, the protest is protected by the First Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution. She provided training for police negotiators, who
have defended protesters’ rights repeatedly to members of the New York
Police Department, with backing from lawyers and legal observers. The process
is described on the BloombergvilleNow.org blogsite:
“As our talented police negotiators have continued to protect the right
of Bloombergville to exist, there is one thing that is clear. Bloombergville is
more than just a location, it is an idea: an idea that everyone has a say in
how the city spends our tax money. This is a fight against budget cuts that
will lower the quality of life for all New Yorkers. Bloombergville has moved
— or been moved — several times since the encampment started
Tuesday. We may keep moving, but we’re still here.”
The blog introduction continues: “If you’re a parent whose
kids’ school is closing, if you can’t afford medical care, if you
live near a fire station that’s shutting down — you’re
already living in Bloombergville — so you may as well join us. Come with
a sleeping bag to spend the night or come for an hour. We’ll always be
somewhere in the shadows of City Hall, 24/7, and we’re not leaving until
the budget is defeated. If you’re a New Yorker who wants a city
that’s healthy, educated and safe, you’re always welcome
here.”
Today a noon-time solidarity delegation visited Bloombergville from Democracia
Real Ya!, the group that has led massive protests in Spain for the past few
weeks. Cesar Siroco, a spokesperson, told WW there is much in common between
the two protests and that people in Spain look forward to the growing protests
in the U.S., which will strengthen the global movement against right-wing
austerity policies.
The Bloombergville General Assembly, which meets daily, announces plans for
marches and rallies in the City Hall area at lunch time and again at 6 p.m.
daily. Organizers are reaching out to affected groups and communities, such as
daycare centers that are facing drastic cuts, schools and firehouses being shut
down because of the Bloomberg budget proposals, and public sector workers
facing layoffs.
On June 22 Bloombergvillers plan to join a protest on Wall Street sponsored by
National Nurses United and the AFL-CIO. It is the third large-scale union
protest in New York in eight days.
The growing intensity of popular resistance is becoming more united. As Cruz
said, “If we can get united and stay united, we’ll win!”
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