Caging the bull

There is a 3,200-kilogram bronze statue of a charging bull located in the financial district of New York City, not far from the stock exchange building. 

It stands 11 feet tall, 16 feet long and was a gift to the city by sculptor Arturo Di Modica.

The Wall Street Bull was given, at the artist’s own considerable expense, after the stock market crash of 1987. It was presented as a token of optimism and was meant to symbolize the strength and power of the American people, not to mention their robust economy.

Whatever else it represents, it is an impressive work of art and has become a popular tourist attraction.  Recently however, it needed a metal security fence and a police guard to protect it from protestors on Wall Street. 

That bronze bovine and everything it represents is under attack by swarms of desperate Americans who are watching the American Dream slip right through their fingers.  They are taking it to the streets just like the good old days during the Vietnam war. 

The Occupy Wall Street protest began on Sept. 17 as an action against the corporate greed and social inequality that supports the wealthiest one per cent of Americans at the expense of everybody else.  That’s why the protestors, mostly young people so far, are also known as the 99 percenters.

They claim to represent the vast majority of taxpayers who are routinely swindled, cheated and lied to by government and special interest groups.  The protestors came equipped with camping gear and set up a small tent village.  It reminds me of those old-fashioned peaceful sit-ins they used to have in the ’70s before the National Guard started shooting.

In the weeks since the protest first began it has grown into a semi-permanent community with -hun¬dreds camped out in a nearby park.  They have organized garbage collection, food and water distribution.  Their media center is busy with twitter and live-stream news releases. 

They plan to be there for the long run whether that turns into weeks or even months.  Some say they will not leave before the job is done but unfortunately nobody knows exactly what that job might be.

So far this has been a leaderless protest organized largely through social media and even though the movement seems to be gaining in strength, there is no spokesperson and no official list of demands.  It’s hard to say what will get these concerned citizens to pack up and go home. There has been no coherent message to date.

The 99-ers seem to like it that way. They expect that over time a leader will emerge and a clear direction will be established.  In the meantime protests are being organized in other major American cities and in financial centers in Europe and around the world.

Banks and other financial institutions are watching and waiting for further developments.  Canadian banks are paying attention as well. The crowds are growing and the protests are spreading quickly across international borders.

Solidarity protests are already planned for this country in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. 

According to its facebook page the Occupy Toronto protest planned for Oct. 15 will have thousands attending.
Everyone will be watching this event closely since it comes on the heels of the G-20 protests last year.  How will the police react?  How will they avoid a situation like the Vancouver riots this past spring?

Occupy Toronto is a loose federation of mostly young people who will be rallying against corporate greed or social inequality or possibly even climate change. Like their NYC counterparts, they have no official demands although in typical Canadian fashion they do have some discussion points to suggest.

Sooner or later somebody will have to lay it on the line.  What we’re talking about here is a new economic order and possible even a new world order. This may just be a minor skirmish but things could get ugly before it’s over.

One New York City protestor was satisfied that, at the very least, police were forced to build a cage to protect the Wall Street Bull. He naively considered that to be a 99 percent victory.

There are more demonstrations planed for the future.  There is also a presidential election planned for 2012.  The battle lines are being drawn.  It’s peaceful now but some people don’t take kindly to having their wealth redistributed.

Even though the bull is caged for now, he certainly hasn’t been tamed.