Occupy LA: The Pro-Government Protesters?

Los Angeles became the first city to officially endorse the Occupy movement when its city council unanimously passed a resolution affirming the group's right to camp out on lawns in front of city hall. The council members had glowing words for the movement.

"These are things worthy of protest. And I thank you for speaking out and helping move the debate forward," said City Councilman Paul Koretz.

Many of the protesters had similarly positive words for their local politicians, as well as local law enforcement. Reason.tv was on the scene to ask protesters about their general attitudes towards government power. Is Occupy Los Angeles (and Occupy Wall Street) simply a pro-government movement, or is there room for libertarian sentiment within it?

The answer is... well, it's complicated. While we spoke to a few small government libertarians at the event, others eschewed anti-government rhetoric and said that criticism of the Federal Reserve is a libertarian "pet issue" distracting from the real matter at hand: economic justice.

The Occupy movement remains politically diverse and difficult to pigeonhole, and many of its members seem proud to remain fiercely independent, saying they will not allow politicians or unions to co-opt their movement.

Produced by Zach Weissmueller and Tim Cavanaugh. Shot by Paul Detrick and Tracy Oppenheimer. Edited by Weissmueller. About 5 minutes long.

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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Occupy Wall Street
• OWS
• Protest
• big banks
• too big to fail
• 99 percent
• Occupy Los Angeles
• libertarian
• small government
• socialism
• liberaltarian
• reason
• Tim Cavanaugh
• Zach Weissmueller
• economy
• recession
• anti zionist
• anti semitism
• federal reserve
• ron paul
• tea party

[USA4July1776]

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

— Thomas Jefferson

[bosshog7169]

As a libertarian, I'm so happy I have the privilege to read and learn things so I can talk about them. If you can read too, please vote for Ron Paul.

[residentzombie]

@annebeck58 I found the easiest way to explain what Zionism is is to explain to people that Zionism refers to the Irgun terrorists that murdered and stole to found Israel and continue to run it today. We can use all their terrorists propoganda against them since they are proud to be terrorists. Zionism = Irgun worship, works very well.

[SpellboundSolution]

@annebeck58 "I want to destroy the only Jewish state in the world, you know, the one with a great big Star of David in the middle of it's flag? But I aint got nothin' against them there Juwz!" Getting old now.

[TheDaks27]

@annebeck58 Oh!?, So it has nothing to do with Thomas Jefferson? lol

[annebeck58]

Hang on- you want to say that Patricia's statement about Zionism running OUR government is, "not the best example"? They are basically pro-Izrahell, dual-izrahell citizens, who have infiltrated the US govt, including Congress and Prez Cabinet(s). Why should we not take them out of OUR govt and OUR country?

If we don't, we're really stupid, and our actions have become dangerous!

[annebeck58]

@MsPamAnn You're correct. The main pro-zionist group, the Ape-Pac, needs to GO. OUR government is being infiltrated and run from the inside, out, by zionist America and the zionist-state of Izrahell.

It's wrong and Americans need to figure this out.

I think the anti-American-Jew ads posted on Izrahell T.V. should go a long way to help with that.

[annebeck58]

@costamesaresident WHAT Anti-semitic-faction?

Anti-Zionism is NOT anti=Jew. In fact, I'd argue it is more pro-Jew than anything.

[annebeck58]

@TheDaks27 I actually think it was William Jefferson Clinton.

[annebeck58]

@blackexilenow You're correct. We have NO free-speech. We are threatened and coerced by another country=state, and most people aren't even AWARE of that.

It's a sad world, and an even sadder country, that we live in.

Gosh, I hope more will awaken to the truth before it's finally too late (not much time, either).

[beancube2010]

If you can't point your fingers to those obvious criminals, you are not giving power to a real reform on Wall St and you'll be traded, sold short, and foreclosure continuously. You may still have some cashes, business slow like this and so many people are out of job, your house sunk deeper under water and eventually, you'll regret you haven't raise your voices into the system when it is possible.