Ok, get off the cops back, they where doing there job and actually agreed with what I had to say. So Goldmann Sachs and every other building in Paulus Hooke is using tax abatements. But yet wanted every cop in the Jersey City police force there because Healy kisses up to Goldmann Sachs. Now Goldmann Sachs doesnt pay a dime for any of this! We the tax payers do! OK, when the Colgate factory was there people where able to sustain a wage that was fair to living, raise a family and live in a tight knit neighborhood. Ok next I was trying to raise awareness to have Goldmann Sachs subsidize something for the city, Like pay for the police and or fire department to relive tax payers. Just like Oyster Creek Power Plantdoes in Lacey Twp. NJ. . Oyster Creek pays Lacey Twp. police saleries hence the police force is the highest paid in NJ. Now why cant this billion dollar corporation subsidize something. Schools anything. Because they know how to get away with murder. Literally, they have lawyers and money to do what ever and drain the state and cut corners.
But I do not want a comapany that will pay men and women from 3rd world countries 9.00 dollars and hour to do security. You cant afford to live on 9.00 an hour, I could just image what they would pay the police and fire departments if it was up to them to subsidize something. Since this tower is the largest in NJ why cant they but new equiptment for the fire department and make sure Jersey City is ready in case of a disaster or terrorist attack? We the working class people are being stretched to the limits from high taxes and yet multi-billion dollar corporations are crying about tax abatements.
Since Chris Christie can can public employee saleries at any moment in time, he can cut the tax abatements and say, "yes, you cant get away with this and lift the tax abaments and force these companies to pay a real estate tax?" C'mon people wake up at the highway robbery going on in New Jersey!

It's not *my* disappointing show. I was just a shopper at the farmers market and was offended by the intimidation tactics of the police. I want to see them protecting us from crime not literally creating a wall around the PATH plaza on the very off chance that something (what?) might happen. There was a street fair there a couple weeks ago with thousands of people and they had fewer cops on site. I would think there is a much greater likelihood of needing police protection in a situation like that than people sitting around with signs. This is a deterrent to free speech and, regardless of your political views, Americans who believe in freedom of speech should be offended.

The organizers tried to draw hundreds and hundreds of people to the area. It was unknown how many would actually show up. With this in mind, the police properly prepared for anything that might happen. The couple of dozen misfits who actually did show up were allowed to march and chant and spread their various messages (Arm The Homeless, indeed) without interference. Don't blame the police for your disappointing show.

I would like to urge everyone to contact the officials below about the overblown show of police force at the Grove Street PATH plaza last night. Let's tell them that we don't approve of using tax dollars to harass and citizens exercising their right to free speech. Let's tell them that we would prefer to see their resources used to STOP CRIME.

JCPD Commander
Deputy Chief Peter Nalbach
policeoperations@njjcps.org
284 Central Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07306
(201)547-5398
FAX: (201)547-6883

Jersey City Mayor
Jerramiah Healy
City Hall - 280 Grove Street
Jersey City, New Jersey 07302
Tel: (201) 547-5200
Fax: (201) 547-4288/5442
MayorHealy@jcnj.org


Ward E Councilman
Jersey City
Steven Fulop
PO Box 13025
Jersey City, NJ 07303
FulopS@jcnj.org

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey
Board of Commissioners
225 Park Avenue South, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10003

If anyone has better contact info (particularly an email address for the PA Board of Commissioners) feel free to share!

There's a video on the Occupy Jersey City Facebook page that explains what happened here today. It didn't go as well as they would have liked but they're NOT giving up on JC. This coming Monday (October 10), 3PM at the Grove Street Path station entrance (where the Farmers Market is held), there will be a general assembly held to discuss the Occupy JC effort. Go if you can!

The majority of the police I came across down there today were Port Authority not JCPD

Find updates in Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/OccupyNewJersey

Nice story about the Jersey City protest running on 1010 Wins.

Quote:

Crowd (at least the initial crowd - I didn't see after 3:00) was a lot older than you'd think. A lot of middle age and older. Very few students.

Rorschach - Bingo on the overtime.

the people i saw at grove street today didn't appear to be a bunch of "entitled youth" with rich parents at all. the crowd was very diverse in all ways, just like the crowds gathering in nyc and all over the country.

even if someone is a college kid or a young person who has parents able and willing to help them financially, does that make their feelings about injustice in the world null and void? lots of people grow up with parents who work hard to barely make ends meet but want to help their kids in hopes they get a decent education, and if i were a parent i'd want to do the same, within reason. just because your parents might give you some money for food or books doesn't mean you are an "entitled" brat who gets everything handed to them and has no concept of what is going on in the world. and lots of kids who may appear that way to someone is going to be facing massive amounts of debt once they graduate, with very little hope of making things work financially if they can even find work.

there is no shortage of spoiled oblivious bratty rich kids in this country, but i doubt you'll find many of them at one of these demonstrations.

I was shocked by the cop to protestor ratio too. Not only was the police presence excessive, but they were there all_day_long. They were at the waterfront at least as early as 9AM when I was there. The full battalion- cops everywhere, from the exchange place path station up to Goldman Sachs, complete with an ENORMOUS emergency EMS vehicle. Pretty sure that kind of a show is what they call "intimidation tactics".

I just came from the Farmers' Market at Grove St. where I went to shop. There were about 50 cops with plastic handcuffs menacing everyone and maybe 12 peaceful, orderly protesters holding up signs. Looks like a real overtime bonanza for the cops at taxpayer expense. The market people were very upset at the cop invasion, as were the shoppers. This is really crazy. I'm no cop hater, but this is completely out of bounds. Maybe we all need to go down there and join those kids. Keep public space public!

Quote:

I'm gonna go out on the limb and say a good chunk of them probably still have mommy and daddy taking care of that for them. Entitled youth .............

It would be interesting to see how much, if any, overtime was paid out to the Jersey City cops for maintaining such a massive presence. The JC cops never pass up an opportunity to pad the overtime wallet.

They were blocking my path to that Hoboken Bread booth! Not cool! (Not to make light.)

Quote:

Don't you understand ? Goldman Sachs must be protected at all costs. Afterall, they run the country.

I am OUTRAGED by the ratio of police to protesters... not to mention ratio of police to farmer's market shoppers! These aren't armed criminals... just taxpaying citizens who have something to say. Yet when I was at the Grove Street Plaza just now, cops had completely surrounded the plaza and had several police vehicles there with lights going. They had those plastic handcuffs all zipped and ready to go. That is not right. This is America and we have a right to assemble. Also, isn't there crime afoot? I'm really not happy about how my tax dollars are being used tonight.

Protest marched to grove street path stop. Assembled there now.

@ Trucker I am sure yours is squeaky clean.

It is easy to make fun but hard to make a difference.

I was hoping for more excitement. ;)

As of 2:45, I'd say the ratio is 3 media to 2 cops to 1 protester. Weird to watch reporters running up to each person who hoisted a sign. Kind of like seagulls flocking to someone's lunch at the beach.

Goldman Sachs up 2.5% today. What are you all doing over there, trading with them?

Don't worry. Your brain has been washed you just don't know it. That's why this is all so enjoyable to watch for the rest of us

@ Trucker - Come on down. I took a shower this morning. My BRAIN however IS UNWASHED.

@ Cannonguy - See you there! Should be some nice light for pictures.

YEAH!!!!!! Its going down. Just hope it remains peaceful... Is this the same group as in NY at Liberty Place? I'll be there supporting them, and camera in hand.

If most of the protesters bathe, I will totally be there to watch you protest!

Last night in NYC was huge with labor unions coming out to support.

I wonder if the police, fire, teachers, and other unions of Jersey City will also realize this opportunity.

Much respect to Lt. Edgar Martinez for this:

"We don't anticipate any problems," Martinez said, "because we anticipate everything being orderly, and individuals adhering to the law while they're exercising their fundamental right to freedom of speech."

Lets live up to his expectations. Come on out!

This movement is not about demands, it is a wake-up call. Please support the movement at 2pm tomorrow, if you can!

"Occupy Wall Street" protests coming to NJ
Associated Press - October 4, 2011

JERSEY CITY, N.J. ? The "Occupy Wall Street" movement is coming to Wall Street West.

Demonstrators are planning to gather Thursday afternoon in front of the Goldman Sachs offices in Jersey City, in the heart of the city's financial district.

The area earned the nickname 'Wall Street West' after many global financial firms relocated to Jersey City in the wake of 9/11. The section of the city's downtown has many high rises, and is directly across the Hudson River from lower Manhattan.

The Occupy Wall Street demonstrations began Sept. 17 with a handful of protesters outside the New York Stock Exchange and have since spread to cities across the country. In addition to the Jersey City event at 2 p.m. Thursday, protesters plan to gather at the same time in front of the Statehouse in Trenton.

Like many participating in the protests, 22-year-old Eric Sundman of Chatham said he was motivated to join the growing movement after watching 700 protesters get arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge during the weekend. Sundman had been using social media to help organize the New Jersey protests, which he said are aimed at lawmakers and big corporations that Sundman says have helped cause the financial crisis, but have done little to stop it.

"I want the people of Goldman Sachs to realize that's our tax dollars we gave you during the crisis to bail you out," Sundman said. "But we're not seeing any of the thanks. We're not getting jobs, or help paying down our debts, like student loans or car payments."

A spokeswoman for Goldman Sachs declined to comment on the planned protest.

Jersey City Police Lt. Edgar Martinez said the city is prepared for the protests and is planning accordingly. He said as of Tuesday no one had applied for a permit to march, but the protesters would be allowed to gather as long as they didn't impede pedestrians or traffic.

"We don't anticipate any problems," Martinez said, "because we anticipate everything being orderly, and individuals adhering to the law while they're exercising their fundamental right to freedom of speech."