Occupy Pittsburgh Calls for a Day of Solidarity Today

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Occupy Pittsburgh has called for a Day of Solidarity, today, January 10, 2012 against BNY Mellon for their attempts to evict them from the People’s Park (Mellon Green). Occupy Pittsburgh will go to court today to defend themselves against a lawsuit from BNY Mellon.

Via Occupy Pittsburgh:

The preliminary injunction hearing will begin at 9:00 am on Tuesday, January 10th in room 800 of the City-County Building in Downtown Pittsburgh. At 3:30 pm, Occupy Pittsburgh will begin demonstrating outside of the City-County Building. When Court lets out, there will be a brief Press Conference including an opportunity for Q & A with a member of the Occupy Pittsburgh legal team. Occupiers will then march from the City County Building to BNY Mellon for a demonstration followed by a rally at People’s Park and a musical performance by Jasiri X.

In addition to asking the public to attend the rally and march, Occupy Pittsburgh is asking the public to do the following to show their support:

• Hold non-violent demonstrations against BNY Mellon around the world (the bank’s corporate headquarters is One Wall Street, New York City). As a multinational banking institution BNY Mellon has offices around the globe including offices in; Boston, London, Moscow, Sydney, Cairo, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and many other population centers around the world

• Wear bandannas, Guy Fawkes masks, or similar coverings to express solidarity with the anonymous and amorphous “99%” in general and the 50 Jane Does and 50 John Does named in the lawsuit in particular. This, of course, is merely a suggestion subject to the comfort level of those involved;

• Engage in autonomous direct actions ***;

• Send mail supporting Occupy Pittsburgh to BNY Mellon’s Pittsburgh office (500 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15258) with the return address of #1 People’s Park, Pittsburgh PA 15219; and

• Temporarily change your addresses on Facebook and other web sites to #1 People’s Park, Pittsburgh PA 15219

***Occupy Pittsburgh and our allies will not endorse, plan, or coordinate any unlawful or violent actions.

According to Occupy Pittsburgh, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Oakland, Occupy Cleveland, Occupy Philadelphia and other Occupy groups across the U.S. will take action in support of Occupy Pittsburgh today. This includes a demonstration by Occupy Wall Street in front of One Wall Street, the New York headquarters of BNY Mellon.

UPDATE: Potter provides "A sneak preview of today's Occupy Pittsburgh hearing"

One Wonders...

It's undeniable that the Tribune-Review's not a fan of Occupy Pittsburgh.  For example, there was this hit piece from a few months ago - something Chris Potter described as:

...a daily newspaper using its resources to bully people around, embarrassing them with personal information the paper can't even claim any public interest in -- simply for availing themselves of their First Amendment freedoms.

And then there was this editorial cartoon today:

You'd think that Scaife's braintrust would actually, you know, learn something about what they're writing about.  But take a look at this from today's Laurels and Lances:

On the "Watch List": BNY Mellon. The commonwealth of Pennsylvania is reviewing whether Bank of New York Mellon overcharged the state and its pension funds on foreign currency transactions over the last 14 years. Three other states already have filed lawsuits to that effect. BNY Mellon denies any wrongdoing. But the allegations are a black mark that the banking giant will find difficult to erase.

Sound familiar?

It should. Occupy Pittsburgh has been protesting BNY Mellon for precisely that reason since the occupation began.

From the AP October 19, 2011:

About 75 members of the Occupy Pittsburgh group protested against corporations and the financial system in front of the BNY Mellon regional office in downtown Pittsburgh.

The protesters gathered at noon Wednesday for less than an hour to demand that Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly investigate whether the banking giant overcharged pension funds in the state.

BNY Mellon says the allegations are baseless. The Occupy Pittsburgh group was formed about two weeks ago, in response to the Occupy Wall Street protests.

And from Occupy Pittsburgh itself:

As we pointed out on October 19, BNY Mellon is being sued by the attorneys general of three states for ripping off $2 billion from public pension funds by overcharging them for foreign currency trades. It is also being sued for $1 billion by the Retirement System of the City of Detroit for keeping the pension funds’ money in Lehman Brothers even after it became apparent that that bank was in trouble.

Doesn't Scaife's braintrust already know this?  If they do, then why did they fail to inform its readership of it?  And if they don't, then why do they call themselves a newspaper?

Happy Friday, Pittsburgh.