#OccupySaks Fifth Avenue - Protest Against Carlos Slim #OWS

Carlos Slim is the world's richest man, the largest stakeholder in Saks Fifth Avenue, and has been accused of overcharging impoverished Mexicans by over $129 billion as owner of Mexico's largest phone company. Activists from Occupy Wall Street demonstrated outside the fancy and expensive retailer, before they snuck inside in a direct action against each of Mr. Slim and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Updated : Javier Soriano, a prominent freelance photographer and journalist, was shut out of the Monday's “Two Countries One Voice” press conference.

Stop and Frisk ; Hypocrisy and Kiss

One week after Christine Quinn marches in protest against Mayor Michael Bloomberg, she kisses both his cheeks (twice). No surprise.

Yesterday, "Mr. Bloomberg and Council Speaker Christine Quinn, surrounded by many members of the council, sealed the deal with a traditional handshake and four kisses at a news conference at City Hall," reported The Wall Street Journal.

It was only last week, though, that Mayor Bloomberg was the target of a massive protest, which called out the billionaire mayor for defending a racist police policy known as ''stop and frisk,'' which targets Black and Hispanic men.

All the way in the U.K., The Guardian newspaper published a major news report, which embarrassed Mayor Bloomberg.

One week, Speaker Quinn will march against the mayor for supporting a racist police policy, which ruins the lives of Black and Hispanic men who are innocent, and, in the very next week, Speaker Quinn is shaking the mayor's hands, smiling for the obligatory photo-op, and kissing the mayor four times.

If Speaker Quinn really wanted to do something about ending ''stop and frisk,'' she would subpoena the NYPD to disclose the annual cost of the police department's controversial racist police, and then she would cut the NYPD's budget by that amount. But only a political leader, who really cared about solving social issues, would take on a practical strategy. Instead, we have Speaker Quinn going along to get along.

This is what situational ethics looks like.

ACT UP's 25th Anniversary

Bloombo Dicto is "silent" on ACT UP's 25th Anniversary, so is Christine Quinn

A25: Annette Gaudino of Healthcare for for the 99% speaks at ACT UP AND OCCUPY, ACT UP/NY's 25th Anniversary Action.

St. Vincent's Activist Get Out of Jail ; Give Press Conference

Why Are They Closing St. Vincent's Hospital ?

Four community activists were released from jail on Wednesday, following their arrest on Tuesday for having staged a sit-in at the former site of St. Vincent's Hospital, reported the Hedz-Up Report. Ms. Katz and the other activists were each charged with criminal trespass, but all they were trying to do was to bring a new hospital to the Lower West Side of Manhattan. Following is video of the a part of the press conference, where Evette Stark-Katz, one of the activists who was arrested, made a public statement.

Why Are They Closing St. Vincent's Hospital? (Pt. 18) - Arrest & Release (Clip 1) from g. sosa on Vimeo.

Activists Arrested At Bloomberg AIDS Protest

People with AIDS under attack. What do we do ? Act up, fight back !

Nine protesters were arrested during the morning of December 1 for blocking traffic outside Mayor Michael Bloomberg's World AIDS Day Bagel Breakfast at the Brooklyn Public Library, reported The New York Times.

World AIDS Day Bloomberg Bagel Boycott Protest from Housing Works on Vimeo.

Oct. 17 St. Vincent's Hospital rally

Oct. 17 rally for a new hospital in Lower West Side - St. Vincent's Hospital - Call to Action

Please join us for a rally on Sunday, October 17, at 2 p.m. We are meeting outside of the main building of the former St. Vincent's Hospital at the corner of 7th Avenue and West 12th Street.

Click here to register to attend the 100 days without a hospital rally.

We want to express to our politicians that the community is united in believing that we need a hospital in the Lower West Side of Manhattan.

St. Vincent's Hospital closed on April 30 under shady conditions, with no notice to the public. In an emergency, every minute counts. Meanwhile, here we are now way past 100 days that the Lower West Side has been without a hospital.

This rally is fully-accessible for the disabled. For the hearing impaired, a transcript of the video follows :

I want to encourage folks to come to the rally on October 17th. We really need a hospital in this neighborhood. Having an Emergency Room close by is very important.

The closing of St. Vincent's was really a disaster for this neighborhood.

Hello, please, you must come to our rally on October 17th in front of St. Vincent's at 2 p.m. We are hoping we'll get 1,000 people -- at least. Your life could count and depend upon having a hospital in our community.

Unless we have over 1,000 people come out on October 17th at 2 p.m., the powers that be and politicians will think that we are accepting this. And that is wrong, because everybody that I talk to knows that it's wrong, and they are very upset over the closing of St. Vincent's Hospital.

We've heard of 45 minute waits for ambulances, to start with, and then trying to get cross-town on 14th Street ?

When you are having an emergency, every minute counts.

Is that enough to convince you that your life depends upon attending this rally. Thank you. I look forward to seeing you there.