Occupy Wall Street

The Who Barrel Through Quadrophenia at Oracle Arena, 2/1/13

The Who Vintage Trouble Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 Oracle Arena Fans of still active '60s-era rock acts are being faced with some stark choices when their heroes hit the road these days. Instead of "Is it worth shelling out the big bucks to see them?" the question has become "Is this my last chance to se ... More >>

"The Dark Knight Rises": Batman Just Goes on Forever

Occupy Berkeley: New Report Says Cops Were Definitely Too Mean During Protests

If Occupy protesters could garner sympathy anywhere, it's going to be in the hypersensitive city of Berkeley. A new report released this week sides with UC Berkeley protesters, claiming police were a bit too heavy-handed during last fall's protests when they repeatedly clubbed student protesters wit ... More >>

Van Halen's Reunion Tour Runs Aground on Reality

Occupy This Album Is as Massive, Inconsistent, and Powerful as Occupy Itself

Remember all the hand-wringing last year over the so-called disappearance of protest music? As the Occupy movement hit its peak, capturing the attention of the country, commentators and older musicians were accusing contemporary artists of failing to grapple with the major struggles of their time in ... More >>

Occupy Protesters, Watch What You Tweet

A New York judge has ruled that Twitter must release tweets from an Occupy Wall Street protester, claiming the information, which highlights the chaotic arrests on the Brooklyn Bridge last year, is -- and should be -- public for the whole world to read. Malcom Harris, a 22-year-old writer, was one o ... More >>

"Smugglers' Songs": A Glimpse down the Road to Freedom

Occupy Oakland Establishes Roving Encampments

​Occupy Oakland has been doing a lot more meeting and planning than occupying these days. But that seems to have changed, and after a long winter hiatus, it appears protesters have taken root again.Since they were so rudely booted from their residence at Frank Ogawa Plaza in November, the movement ... More >>

Occupy Our Food Supply ... Today

Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Bank of America, Occupy San Francisco -- now occupy your diet, too. Today is Occupy Our Food Supply Day, a nationwide series of actions and articles hoping to raise awareness about how corporate interests have taken over the world's food supply. As Anna Moore Lappé and ... More >>

Bouncer Visits the Lion's Den: ING Cafe

SF Weekly Letters

Occupy Oakland: Judge Issues Restraining Order Against Protesters

​Oakland officials truly upped the ante in their battle with Occupy Oakland when they secured a stay-away order for 12 protesters who were charged in connection with the weekend chaos in downtown Oakland.The demonstrators were ordered to stay 300 feet away from Frank Ogawa Plaza, home of City Hall ... More >>

Mayor Jean Quan Calls on Occupy Wall Street to "Disown" Occupy Oakland

​After a weekend of epic chaos that led to more than 400 arrests in downtown Oakland, Mayor Jean Quan says she is going to place a call to New York City -- home of the Occupy Wall Street movement --  to let protesters there know she is really, really sick and tired of Occupy consuming her hom ... More >>

"Man on a Ledge": Wrong-Man Thriller Goes Thud

Occupy Wall Street West: Here's What You Missed

We've been giving you a blow-by-blow of this Occupy Wall Street West's antics through the day, as hundreds of protesters gathered in the city's Financial District, attempting to disable the banks. They had predicted this to be the biggest street demonstration since the anti-war protests in 2003, and ... More >>

Occupy San Francisco to Shut Down Financial District

​Occupy San Francisco is unleashing itself all over San Francisco's financial institutions come Friday, in what protesters are saying will be the largest street protest the city has experienced since the anti-war demonstrations in 2003. It's been several weeks in the making, ever since the Occupy ... More >>

Occupy Bernal Heights: No Tents Necessary

Courtesy of the Badass Bernalwood Press Bernal Heights residents want homes, not tents​Bernal Heights residents are proving you don't really need to pitch a tent to fight big banks. As Bernalwood reports, a bunch of neighbors in the quirky neighborhood have decided to create an official "Occupy B ... More >>

Enter: A Superhero: The Ray Faced Down Cops to Help Occupy, But His True Mission Is Darker

SF Weekly Letters

SFPD's Ugly History with Pepper Spray

​When San Francisco Police came calling in June of 1995, 37-year-old Aaron Williams probably didn't think it would be his last day on Earth. But as the pet-store-burglary suspect emerged from his house, a dozen officers piled on him. Police pepper-sprayed him, restrained him, and placed him face-d ... More >>

"Occupy" and "99 Percent" Shortlisted for Word of the Year

​Oxford University Press announced its 2011 Word of the Year on Wednesday. And it is ... drumroll please ... "Squeezed middle." Which brings to mind another word: "Huh?" Probably not the reaction the lexicographers were going for. "Squeezed middle," it turns out, is not what you get after eati ... More >>

John Pike, Accused Pepper-Spraying UC Davis Cop, Targeted by Anonymous

The shadowy online "hacktivist" group known for encouraging the Occupy Wall Street Movement has published the personal contact information of Lt. John Pike, the UC Davis cop who was allegedly recorded pepper-spraying a group of unarmed UC Davis protesters last week. A video that claims to be the wor ... More >>

W. Kamau Bell: "Stop Talking Shit About the Occupy Movement"

Me and my socio-political stand-up comedy crew, Laughter Against The Machine, just finished our first national tour. Collectively we went to six Occupations, in New Orleans, Portland, New York, D.C., and San Francisco. And I would like to make a request of you. Stop talking shit about the Occupy Wal ... More >>

Occupy the Pop Charts: Five Reasons Why We Like Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins

Gil RiegoThird Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins performing in S.F. last year.​ Yesterday, San Francisco's own Third Eye Blind released "If There Ever Was a Time," a new song in support of Occupy Wall Street. Penned by frontman Stephan Jenkins, the song's lyrics are a cheery encouragement for young ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

Move Your Money Day: San Francisco Residents to Dump Their Banks

​In what could be the first practical request by the Occupy Movement yet, protesters are asking everyone across the nation to take part in the "Move Your Money Day" tomorrow and divert their investments from big banks. It might seem ambitious, but considering how the mass exodus of customers from ... More >>

SF Weekly Letters

Boots Riley: Oakland General Strike Is "Like Us Flashing Our Guns"

via EKA PhotographyBoots Riley at Occupy Oakland​ The Occupy movement doesn't have a leader, but Oakland activist-rapper Boots Riley is serving as one sort of de facto spokesman for his hometown's defiant occupation, lending the collective grievances a high-profile voice. Inspired by public g ... More >>

Mayor Jean Quan Returns Medical Supplies to Occupy Oakland Camp

Quan can't fix bad press with a bunch of band aids ​Mayor Jean Quan vowed to return all the medical supplies that had been taken during last Tuesday's early morning raid of the Occupy Oakland encampment. Protesters who have been serving at the Occupy Oakland medics warned the mayor over the weeken ... More >>

Mayor Jean Quan Apologizes to Occupy Oakland, Gets Booed Off Stage

Let's just say it will take magic to undo Quan's problems​Oakland Mayor Jean Quan is quickly becoming more unpopular than Ron Dellums, who made history when he decided not to seek a second term (he was that unpopular!). Quan, who allowed police to raid the Occupy Oakland camp on Tuesday morning, t ... More >>

Occupy Oakland Calls for Citywide Strike

​The scene in downtown Oakland was much calmer early this evening as hundreds of protesters gathered in front of City Hall to talk about what's next for Occupy Oakland. The group shunned anyone who attempted to taunt police or create chaos, while members of the leaderless group circled Frank Ogawa ... More >>

Cops Raid Occupy Oakland Camp, Protesters Arrested, BART Suspended (Video)

celesteh via Flickr​Helicopters are circling over downtown Oakland this morning as police continue breaking down the Occupy Oakland camp, where protesters have been camped out for two weeks in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement. Hundreds of officers in riot gear raided the camp shortl ... More >>

Occupy Oakland: "It's Not Finished"

dignidadrebelde via Flickr​For such a loosely organized group, Occupy Oakland has managed to quickly coordinate a renewed movement after police conducted an early morning raid today on the protesters' camp outside City Hall, which resulted in heavy smoke, dozens of arrests, and lots of chaos. With ... More >>

Anthrax's Scott Ian on Making a Brilliant New Album and Possibly Bringing the Big Four Tour to S.F.

Anthrax, with Scott Ian at the far right.​ California may have been the epicenter of the emerging thrash-metal scene at the dawn of the 1980s, but the NYC headbangers of Anthrax unquestionably earned their place in the genre's history. As an East Coast counterpart and early ally of Metallica, ... More >>

Occupy Wall Street App Comes in Handy When You Get Arrested

Ping NewsThere's an app for that...​Some might say that the Occupy Wall Street protesters are out there trying to upend capitalism by demonstrating against big banks and economic disparity. But, somewhat ironically, it's these very protests that have spurred a new enterprise -- with the inevitable ... More >>

Global Day of Protest in San Francisco (Slideshow)

For the last four weeks, Occupy Wall Street has stirred the American conscious with its we-hate-big-banks protests, which has spread to San Francisco and cities across the nation. But on Saturday, the unrest over the financial disparity went global, with protesters marching in cities from San Franci ... More >>

Protesting Corporate Greed and Corruption? Set Your Sights on the Food Industry

_PaulS_/Flickr​ Mother Jones magazine's great food correspondant, Tom Philpott, wrote a barnstormer of an article this past week titled "Foodies, Get Thee to Occupy Wall Street." Food is no side issue, Philpott argues, to the nationwide protests voicing outrage over the unchecked power o ... More >>

Is Nancy Pelosi Too Powerful for Pot?

Right Behind You​Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi -- who, despite no longer being House Speaker, is arguably still the most powerful resident of San Francisco -- is a very busy politician. Just this week, the highest-ranking woman in American political history had her fingers in everything from the Ch ... More >>

Why Musicians Matter to the Occupy Movement

​It's been over two weeks since the protest in SF's financial district commenced -- prompted by the occupation of Wall Street that started almost a month ago -- and four days since Oakland joined this now apparently worldwide movement. As we all know, Occupy Wall Street was outright ignored by mai ... More >>

The Coup's Boots Riley Will Perform for the Occupy Oakland Crowd This Evening

Boots Riley. Photo by John Duah​ So, so fitting: On a day when his bandmate in Street Sweeper Social Club, Tom Morello, performed at Occupy Wall Street, politically conscious Oakland rapper Boots Riley of the Coup is bringing his boisterous rhymes to Occupy Oakland for a free performance. But ... More >>

OccupySF Blocks Wells Fargo HQ; 11 Taken Away in Handcuffs

​OccupySF protesters did more than yoga this morning. The group marched down Market Street this morning and reportedly blocked the doors of the Wells Fargo Headquarters, slowing traffic through the Financial District and forcing employees to use the side doors. According to news reports, the group ... More >>

Lupe Fiasco Brings Food, Encouragement to Occupy Oakland

Lupe came to Occupy Oakland​ Okay, so he might be kind of a whiner. But Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco is also down for the cause. Prior to performing last night at the Fox Theater in Oakland, Fiasco dropped by the Occupy Oakland encampment and offered a few words of support and solidarity -- alo ... More >>

Occupy SF ... San Francisco-Style

In New York City, they Occupy Wall Street movement has drawn thousands of people to the lower Manhattan area to protest "corporate greed." On one occasion, more than 700 protesters were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge, sparking what some are calling a new era of dissenters. Meanwhile, in San Francis ... More >>

R.I.P. Steve Jobs, an Insanely Great Capitalist

​As I write this, many of my Facebook friends are expressing their profound sadness, and actually issuing "thanks" to Steve Jobs, who died on Wednesday. I'm feeling the same way. It is astonishing that such sentiments can be felt, at this moment in history, about the CEO of any American corporat ... More >>

Watch DJ Shadow's Blood-Boiling New Video, "Border Crossing"

The Occupy Wall Street Everywhere protests are stealing headlines this week. But for many, immigration and border politics remain one of the most backwards and unjust issues facing the country. Count among that group the Bay Area's DJ Shadow, whose new video for "Border Crossing" qualifies as a bloo ... More >>

Occupy SF Movement Grows on Market Street

​Last week we told you about the Occupy Wall Street movement spreading all the way to the West Coast, including San Francisco. Near the Financial District, protesters have set up a makeshift home for themselves, equipped with tarps, food, rain gear, and, because it's San Francisco, they're attempt ... More >>

Occupy Wall Street Protest Expands to San Francisco

12 days, plus interest ​Today marks the 12th day of the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City -- and unlike BART protests, there's no sign that this demonstration is dying down. In fact, it's spreading -- all the way to the West Coast, where California is suffering from a staggering 12 perc ... More >>