Thursday, July 16, 2009

Northside United Protest Blows Up w/ Arrests **

Early reports are sketchy and no more than 140 characters long, but it appears from the NSideUnited Twitter feed and others that a Northside Mothers demand Corporate Neighbors help stop the violence protest in which a memorial was to be "built" with flowers and teddy bears outside the DelMonte building escalated into an impromptu door-blocking sit-in, with several arrests and detentions.

To wit:


Then read these four in reverse:


And finally:


More on Paradise Gray: LINK, LINK, LINK.

The P-G now has the story online: LINK.

WTAE has raw-style video: LINK.

*-UPDATE: Three of the four who sat-in were charged with obstructing highways or other public passages, and issued summons to appear in court. Mr. Gray, who was not among the four sitting-in but who did come to their aid in response to an allegedly aggressive individual attempting to exit through that doorway anyway, was charged with obstructing public passages and with resisting arrest. He was formally arraigned and released around midnight on $2,000 bail.

**-UPDATE: Gray's side of the story can be found at the Northside Chronicle.

15 comments:

  1. Is the argument as simple as requesting either fair, living wages with health benefits, governmental assistance for health and human services through taxation, or CBA's which are a construct of the two?

    Do Northside businesses share the blame for the declines in the quality of life to the local residents?

    Has the government they pay for become so ineffectual to the needs of northside residents that the residents have identified their true overseers, and as such, are requesting aid from private business - as if private business, and not the government can truly change their quality of life?

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  2. Looks like the HUDDLER missed a good opportunity to do the right thing on the "NORTHSIDE" today...

    The Northshore is NOT the property of the Stadium and Exhibition Authority, the Rooney family or anyone else.

    The City of Pittsburgh needs development that will create good paying jobs for the community, that pay a decent wage, provide access to quality healthcare, and add value to the community to encourage further development.

    Continental is no better than the slum lords over at Hoagie Inc. that don't cut the grass and use properties for dumping trash.

    The community SHOULD HAVE A VOICE considering all of the taxpayer dollars that are subsidizing these projects.

    The HUDDLER who is an advocate for the Pittsburgh Police is disappointed in the video that is on the MSM. It looks like an officer told a civilian to walk thru the peaceful protest resulting in one of the protesters falling into the revolving door, if you watch, the officer had handcuffs out before the female in the blue shirt even reached the door - What a set up !!

    The HUDDLER knows better than to say something like - report it to the civilian review board?
    NOTHING WILL EVER BE DONE OR CHANGE!!

    The Mayor is in the developers pocket, and the cops belong to the Mayor. Remind anyone of the coal police?

    What a farce.

    The HUDDLER's heroes of the week are the four community activists that took one on the chin for the NORTHSIDE today...

    SOLIDARITY FOREVER !!

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  3. Well said THE HUDDLER..

    It seems I owe you an apology for my comments the other night...

    You are passionate, as I am...

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  4. N'atman - Those are some phenomenal questions. I've always wondered why both the rhetoric and tactics of these CBA groups seem directed so steadfastly at the businesses which receive subsidies, rather than at the public officials who grant them. I mean, what, are they hoping the business are going to be nice to them? It was when One Hill pivoted, briefly, that they got somewhere. That's why I was so encouraged by N.U.'s trip to the Mayor's Office last week -- but that's not where they chose to sit-in, is it?

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  5. Paradise Gray?

    ...Shakedown artist and figurehead for black community looking for handout...

    Arrested during normal working hours...where was Dok Harris, Mayorial Candidate?

    Alpark Terrace would like to hire Paradise Gray...if we thought he was on anyone's side but black...

    When was last time he fought for Justice while not color-blinded...

    This is pure crap, Bram...

    Paradise Gray, Paradise Sharpton, Paradise Jackson...another figurehead, local mind you...that is nothing but talking head..

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  6. You are right...love protests. Been in a few...

    Paradise Gray is face of community...Bill Stricklind (mispelled?) Is well known puppet master..THE TRUTH brought Bills' xsistence to my attention, was moved by link (video)

    In reality it is rich black explotation of poor blacks...

    It is about those, black or white, empowered... fighting on the backs of poor reaching for 'Property Rights'.

    Paradise Gray is sell out to Strickland interests...

    It stinks, 13 residents of Alpark Terrace loose homes..no protesters represented by Paradise lost their subsidized homes...

    White trash suffers in silence because we are embarrsed to be white and failures...

    Open season...at our expense!

    I seemed to have lost my can opener, X had buck teeth...

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  7. My obsessive fiddling accidentally erased another comment of my own in between Monk's two comments above, but it wasn't exciting. Just something about who qualifies for "handouts" around here. Gotta cut the self-editing out.

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  8. Hey Bram,

    Lay off the 'Bud Light W Lime'.

    On second thought, more 'Bud light W Lime...'

    That self editing...

    Snarl, a bit...adan olam

    Wander how this (adan olam) will appear here...

    It's all Greek to me...

    # English translation Transliteration Hebrew
    1 Eternal Master, who reigned supreme, Adon 'olam, 'asher malakh, אֲדוֹן עוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר מָלַךְ
    2 Before all of creation was drawn; b'terem kol y'tzir niv'ra בְּטֶרֶם כָּל יְצִיר נִבְרָא
    3 When it was finished according to His will, L'eyt na'asa v'kheftso kol, לְעֵת נַעֲשָׂה בְחֶפְצוֹ כֹּל
    4 Then the King's Name was proclaimed Azai melekh sh'mo nikra אֲזַי מֶלֶךְ שְׁמוֹ נִקְרָא
    5 When this our world shall be no more, V'akharey kikh'lot hakol וְאַחֲרֵי כִּכְלוֹת הַכֹּל
    6 In majesty He still shall reign, L'vado y'imlokh nora לְבַדּוֹ יִמְלוֹךְ נוֹרָא
    7 And he was, and he is, V'hu hayah v'hu hoveh וְהוּא הָיָה וְהוּא הֹוֶה
    8 And he will be in glory. V'hu yih'yeh b'tif'arah וְהוּא יִהְיֶה בְּתִפְאָרָה
    9 Alone is He, beyond compare, V'hu 'ekhad v'eyn sheyni וְהוּא אֶחָד וְאֵין שֵׁנִי
    10 Without division or ally; L'ham'shil lo l'hakhbirah לְהַמְשִׁילֹ לוֹ לְהַחְבִּירָה
    11 Without beginning, without end, B'li reyshiyt b'li takh'liyt בְּלִי רֵאשִׁית בְּלִי תַכְלִית
    12 to Him is the power and sovereignty V'lo ha'oz v'hamis'rah וְלוֹ הָעֹז וְהַמִּשְׂרָה
    13 unfathomable and unimaginable B'li erekh b'li dim'yon בְּלִי עֵרֶךְ בְּלִי דִמְיוֹן
    14 unchanging and irreplaceable B'li shinui ut'morah בְּלִי שִׁנּוּי וּתְמוּרָה
    15 He is without connections or separations B'li khibur b'li pirud בְּלִי חִבּוּר בְּלִי פִּרוּד
    16 His strength and valor are great G'dol ko'ach ug'vurah גְּדוֹל כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה
    17 He is my God, my Living Redeemer V'hu 'Eyli v'khai go'ali וְהוּא אֵלִי וְחַי גּוֹאֲלִי
    18 rock of my affliction in the enemy day v'tsur khevli b'yom tsarah וְצוּר חֶבְלִי בְּיוֹם צָרָה
    19 He is my banner and refuge V'hu nisi 'umanos li וְהוּא נִסִּי וּמָנוֹס ִלִי
    20 filling my cup the day I call m'nat kosi b'yom 'ekra מְנָת כּוֹסִי בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָא
    21 He is a healer and a remedy v'hu rofey v'hu marpey וְהוּא רוֹפֵא וְהוּא מַרְפֵּא
    22 He watches and He helps v'hu tzofeyh v'hu ezrah וְהוּא צוֹפֶה וְהוּא עֶזְרָה
    23 Into His hand I commit my spirit B'yado af'kid rukhi בְּיָדוֹ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי
    24 when I sleep, and I wake b'eyt 'ishan v'a'ira בְּעֵת אִישָׁן וְאָעִירָה
    25 and with my spirit, my body v'im rukhi g'viyati וְעִם רוּחִי גְוִיָּתִי
    26 The Lord is with me, I will not fear Adonai li v'lo 'ira אֲדֹנָי לִי וְלֹא אִירָא

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  9. Gee I'd like to get arrested. Wish they'd have left Paradise go and arrested the others. Would have brought more attention and a stronger message. Dear old Dad, Mugsy, used to say "you are not really a citizen until you've been arrested at least once." Never spoke of being convicted though.

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  10. This organization is a joke. 30 people is about all the support they have. They haven't created one job or attracted any investment in the North Side. Protesting by keeping people from going to their jobs at Del Monte? Get a life.

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  11. The organization may not be powerful, and maybe that is how it appears to you, to be a joke, however, fighting to clean up North Side, create meaningful jobs is an admirable fight.

    You have to realize that if the cause is not brought to light now, it never will be before North Side further slides down the slippery slope of casino decaying persons, lost people with gambling addictions, laying in the streets.
    They are right to fight for some revitalization now, in the form of sustainable jobs and small businesses in that area or it will never happen. Very soon you will have a place that begins to look like the very near outskirts of Atlantic City and with that will come more crime and blight in the areas adjacent to the Casino's, which is the North Side and Not the North Shore. Wake Up, they are not wrong.

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  12. NU has a million dollars in the bank right now, that pays for a lot of bail and pr vids and bus tours and "marketing communications", you may have noticed. when i have complained they say that they have to intentionally exaggerate and distort the issues to gain leverage and power, you know "truth to power". ironically, i live on the north side and they do not represent me, or many others i know, they are representing themselves and their interests and their spin. the truth and the reality is considerably more complicated and nuanced

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  13. hahahaha, i'm sure NU wishes it had a million dollars in the bank!!

    You know their staff were actually laid off for a good chunk of last year.

    they're the "power" that you need to speak truth to? yikes.

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  14. Why are all of NU's paid staffers white? Why do half of them live in the East End?

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  15. Not a totally illegitimate question, though I know nothing of the 'East End' portion of your allegation. Aside from the fact that N.U. is much more racially heterogeneous than was One Hill, the community organizers of the community benefits movement draw from the ranks of experienced labor organizers. That is an inherited problem of labor that needs to be addressed, but I think SEIU in particular is doing a better job than most in regards to its membership.

    Since you "went there" first, why are all of the developer's owners, executives and pitchmen white, and why do almost none of them live in the city or even the region?

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