A Brief news Commentary from Doug Draper
While other cities –New York, Vancouver and Toronto included – move to clear out encampments of Occupy movement in their parks – reports from Buffalo so far say that the city’s mayor has no plans to evict the Occupiers there.
Visit Occupy Buffalo at http://www.occupy buffalo.org
Niagara At Large paid a brief visit earlier this November to the encampment located on Washington Square in front of Buffalo’s towering city hall and Occupiers said at the time that the city was openly expressing its respect for their right to demonstrate for economic justice for the 99 %.
In return, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told local media recently there are no plans to remove the Occupiers because, according to one PBS-WNED report, “they have been respectful and are keeping the square in front of city hall clean.”
Although the mayor added that his main concern is the health and safety of the Occupiers as winter approaches, it is notable that so far at least, he has not joined mayors and council in other municipalities across the continent and used that as pretense for sweeping them out.
Perhaps the Buffalo mayor and his council are noticing that in other cities, evicting the Occupiers from their encampments is only strengthening their resolve to see the movement for a fairer shake for middle and working class people across this continent grow.
Occupy Buffalo also had its spirit lifted recently through the following video message from Academy Award film-maker and citizen activist Michael More. Click on the following link to watch it – http://www.occupybuffalo.org/2011/11/17/words-of-encouragement-from-michael-moore .
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Niagara At Large 
Kudos to Buffalo Mayor Brown.
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This is great news for the city of Buffalo, it looks to me that someone has not forgotten what these terrible wars were fought over in the past and that is our right to live freely and express ourselves and not be afraid of persecution or to live our lives in fear of spending it behind bars or in a forced labour camp.
Byron Brown is a hero to me for not sending the goon cops in with their pepper spray and billy clubs as many Canadian cities have done or are in the process of doing.
My hero’s are the guys that have served their country by going off to fight a war that many did not have a clue as to what it was about but they knew it was about our freedoms and choices.
Be damned with the cops and firefighters that go around with their stickers and licence plates telling us what hero’s they are. They have jobs to do and very good paying jobs so just go and do your job, never mind all the hoopla, you guys will never be my hero’s.
Go and deal your dope and lie about it when you get caught because you have a union that will protect you and mayors that will swear that you are doing the very best for your community but you are not anywhere close to being my hero.
Getting back to the subject, I think that Byron Brown is doing the right thing and he has gained my respect for not doing what some Canadian mayors have done and that is sicking the goons in blue on some protesters that have that right, thanks to the real hero’s .
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I recently exchanged emails with Michael J. LoCurto our
Delaware District Common Council Member and thanked him for representing our district in a fashion we are very proud of. Not only does Occupy Buffalo receive support from Mayor Brown and our Common Council, The Buffalo Police and Fire Department are behind the movement as well. This demonstration has been peaceful, law abiding, and as a result their message has been heard…LOUD and CLEAR. If there is a city that best represents the 99% it’s Buffalo!!!!
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Way to go, Buffalo!!! Occupy Niagara is going strong too, although we did start later … we are Occupy 2.0, but we look forward to working with our sister Occupy movement in Buffalo.
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