As I was attending the Teach-in on last Thursday, a controversial question was sparked during the conversation: Is the police included in the 99% ? Some people thought that the police was not the 99% because they acted against the 99% and helped evict the protester from Zoccotti Park last week. There was a police happened to attend this teach-in, he said “It was my job and I had to do it. I had family to take care of; I could not lose this job. I was actually supporting this movement and most of my colleagues are backing it underneath too.” However, some people didn’t buy what he said. A native American activist later spoke and was indignant. She pointed out that “who ever said that the police is the 99%, sorry for my language, BULLSHIT!” She stated that she was hurt by the police on the day when the eviction of the Zoccotti Park happened. I feel sympathetic toward the police present in the teach-in that day. I understand how hard it is to be the person in the middle. If he refused to carry out the order, he would probably be laid off. However, if he executed the order, he would be abhorred by the 99% group, to which he’s supposed to belong. If he was single and alone, I think he would definitely support the movement openly. However, he has daughter and wife to take care of. They might be in the risk of being homeless if he lost his job. We can’t simply said that all the police are evil and hate them. However, some vicious police do exist, who are certainly unbearable. Here is a link to the same topic that is related to Oakland police who consider themselves as the 99%, but the responder questions it.

Everything looked peaceful before I got off at the City Hall stop. I found many police in the subway station and I met much more police when I left the subway station. Never seen so many police at one moment, I felt a bit nervous. I didn’t expect that there would be singers provoking the protesters, but I found this fascinating and excellent. The powerful word and rap will doubtless excite the protesters and make their slogan even more forceful, which intensify the strength of the movement. How amazingly the singers can contribute for the movement. They cry out the anger of themselves and the 99%. What’s more, protest organizer plan to play a 24-hours drum circle in front of the home of Mayor Bloomberg. At 2:00 pm November 20th, they began their show, with many other instruments. I personally don’t think this is a proper way to achieve their goal. Music should be used for provoking not for disturbing.

Artists also assist in witnessing and recording the history of the movement. ” Jeff Sharlet and the other folks at Occupy Writers are putting the moral force of art to the wheel, whether they’re writing original work about the movement or holding storytelling events at the site of the now-dismantled library” (Alyssa Rosenberg). With no money, the artists still have their pen and their mind, through which they expose the corruption of the government and showcase the collective power of the ordinary people.

Same as the past revolution, Occupy Wall Street movement are propelled by creative and provocative posters.  Gaining no money, the artists use their creativity to express the anger and spread the idea of the power of union.You may find some posters here.

Michele Elam (link to her article) mentioned in her article that the great philosopher Aristotle insisted that the art had a profound social function. Also, she mentioned that “in 1926,the renowned black intellectual, W.E.B. Du Bois, argued passionately that art should be used for social justice.” It’s very conspicuous that art was, is being, and will be considered and truly an influential instrument of the social movement in the past, at present, and also in the future.

An Occupy Wall St. invitation designed by Shepard Fairey to draw people to an Occupy party in Times Square earlier this month