Media Silent as Massive Protest in D.C. Fills Jails Beyond Capacity.

[elleng]

'Initial reports suggest that hundreds of protesters are being arrested outside Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., right now for participating in a peaceful demonstration against corporate money in politics.

With over 53,000 tweets, #DemocracySpring is trending on Twitter and on Facebook, and the protest is still unfolding. However, some noted that even with a massive outcry, mainstream media coverage was nowhere to be found.

The protesters arrived at the U.S. Capitol Building in D.C. after marching 150 miles from the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia over the course of a week as a part of the Democracy Spring campaign. Upon arriving, they engaged in a peaceful sit-in outside the Capitol, with the goal of staying there for another week.

The Democracy Spring website says the campaign’s goal is to “demand a Congress that will take immediate action to end the corruption of big money in our politics and ensure free and fair elections in which every American has an equal voice.” Furthermore, their proposals include support of the Government by the People Act & Fair Elections Now Act, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 & Voter Empowerment Act of 2015; and the Democracy for All Amendment.

The website reports that over 3,600 people have pledged to take part in this act of civic disobedience, though a final number has yet to be confirmed. Police were quickly called to the scene, and they began arresting people not even an hour after the protest begun.

Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks took part in the sit-in, saying “They can arrest us today and they can arrest us tomorrow, but we’re gonna keep coming back. They can’t arrest the whole country.”

Despite the arrests, the mood of the sit-in remains peaceful and even celebratory. Police reported that the protest has resulted in a record number of arrests at the US Capitol.

Meanwhile, activists around the country have taken to Twitter to show their support.

The sit-in is scheduled to last until April 18th, with more people planning to bus in throughout the course of the week, so it’s safe to say that more arrests are on the way.

If the police can figure out where to put everybody.'

http://usuncut.com/resistance/d-c-protest-democracyspring-arrests/

[Gomez163]

1. *yawn*

[KeepItReal]

5. Take a nap, then. The rest of us will support those fighting political disfunction.

[Gomez163]

42. Your Bernie is going to lose big and then I'm going to gloat because Hillary never had your vote.

So I'm not going to be nice

[Silver_Witch]

74. Apparently your idea of being ..

A Democrat is different than ours! Proof that Hillary supporters are not for the people!

[Jackie Wilson Said]

154. Silly to suggest that millions of Clinton supporters are identical to this one person here

dont you think?

I thought his yawn response was troubling because if anything we are at a crossroads and we need people to wake up, but to say all Clinton supporters feel the same is ridiculous.

I am a Bernie voter and settling for Hillary wont be fun, but when I look at the alternative I am grateful she is there if need be.

But neither of them can resolve this anytime soon

[Silver_Witch]

182. Just as silly as assuming all Bernie supporters are

Sexists or whatever other meme of the day they are spouting.

Sadly I cannot vote for Hillary. Have voted Dem my whole life sine I turned 18. Will be sad if I can't vote this time around. More power to you though for being willing!

[Jackie Wilson Said]

183. GOP is very grateful to you, because on their own they cant win, but with people like you, they can.

[Wibly]

75. Spoken like a true Republican

Just like Hillary.

Can't make your argument for Clinton based on fact and history, so you resort to schoolyard level taunts and bluster.
It's the Clinton way.

[Betty Karlson]

91. ^this ^ Goldwater-girl mentality is preading its poison all through the Democratic Party

[Nitram]

119. "Goldwater Girl Mentality?" Hogwash!

Pure bumper sticker thinking.

[BeanMusical]

128. "Pure bumper sticker thinking."

How about button thinking?


Looks familiar, isn't it?

[Betty Karlson]

131. That... is spooky.

Especially when a picture says more than a thousand words.

[lagomorph777]

160. It points to the right - and that's no coincidence.

[daleanime]

77. She never wanted our vote....

she much prefers $$$$$$$$$$$$. And yes, I know you're good with that.

[northernsouthern]

80. Your response is sickening.

Thanks for showing us your true colors. While people fight for our rights and our democracy you are enjoying your privileged and voting for a candidate to send more of our people to die overseas. And the HRC camp has the indecency to try to shame us with the privileged line. You can not be real, you have to be a paid poster.

[BeanMusical]

83. +1

[Hortensis]

89. The thread is about Democracy Spring's week

in DC protesting big-money corruption, though, and hasn't that been kind of easily derailed?

As for the brief media silence, it's broken, or at least cracked. Sure, the MSM have a practice of not encouraging illegal activities, which this technically is, by giving them the coverage sought, but CNN on line is now reporting on this civil activism, so hopefully that will be followed by other media, including TV.

[BeanMusical]

97. Are you sure that you have replied to the right person?

[Hortensis]

101. Democracy Spring, Bean.

Are you curious about how many will show up to sit in today? Or be arrested today? Why they will show up? If the media will cover it?

[BeanMusical]

102. Whatever, Hort.

[Rex]

174. And all you had to do is type +1

Some around here are really showing their true colors, I wonder what scared them into such a desperate act?

[Scuba]

100. "... the MSM have a practice of not encouraging illegal activities ..." Huh? WTF?

The MSM is an enabler of illegal activities, as long as the perp has juice with TPTB.

[Hortensis]

103. Is this new information, Scuba? That's why they

avoid using names of mass shooters too -- to avoid being used for personal "glory."

But, of course, demonstrations in D.C. are hardly unusual. At what point are they considered "newsworthy"?

According to the post, about 3600 people supposedly pledged to participate in this worthy but somewhat less-than-massive exercise in activism. Do we assume about...400 showed up the first day? More to trickle in off the road from Philadelphia today?

Do people on this part of the thread care about activism, even against big money corruption of the American way?

[Scuba]

105. Seems many on DU think all protesters are commies, and money in politics is a good thing.

[Hortensis]

172. How'd you stretch to that? This thread is about

media's failure to cover this protest. NOTABLY, it is not about the protest itself -- rather a complaint about the media generated BY the protest...

And yours also fails to pay attention to what this earnest little group is trying to get across. I don't see that they're making much more dent in the indifference today, but then they didn't ask me if I wanted them to do more than just vote Democrat for change.

[99th_Monkey]

151. "At what point are (stories) considered "newsworthy"?

When the protestors filled the jails to overflowing, breaking the record of arrests in one
day in Washington DC, that's when it became news.

Actually before that even, but it just illustrates the M$M's willfully ignorant complicitity in
censoring newsworthy stores that don't fit neatly into TPTB's greedy schemes for continuing
to dismantle and impoverish what used to be called the "Middle Class".

[BeanMusical]

140. "WTF" is right. Talk about word salad.

[Rex]

176. Most pathetic thing I've seen typed here since the bootlickers making excuses for the police

in Ferguson. Funny always the same people with never a bad word about government, media or corporations. I wonder why they even come here? Probably just to poke fun at us liberals.

[Tuesday_Morning]

143. Instead of feeding the trolls

I just went here to Bernie2016tv Live to see the protests. Wish I was there!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpVhqCnd6iz3gfJUuGM1r7g

[klook]

92. I have to wonder why this poster joined this site on March 18th.

A cynic might say the posts in this thread indicate an intention to disrupt.

[Feeling the Bern]

99. 195 posts and already sounds like a Republican. I think you're in the wrong place

[sulphurdunn]

104. What exactly does this comment

have to do with people wanting to get big money out of politics? Ms. Clinton has pledge to push for a constitutional amendment to Citizens United, and everyone knows that Hillary is as good as her word.

[deacon_sephiroth]

108. Just put these guys on ignore like I do

The site is clearly being trolled/infiltrated.

Super low post count? Check
Hillary supporter, almost invariably with the arrow icon? Check
Abusive and snotty to everyone? Check

When a random Hilbot crops up that just shows you its ass after being here for 5 minutes, put it on ignore forever. My list has gotten pretty big.

I don't even know why they are bothering, there are plenty of site vets with 10,000+ posts being condescending and snotty on Hilary's behalf that there's no need for disposable bots to make them look bad.

[Doremus]

118. lol

there are plenty of site vets with 10,000+ posts being condescending and snotty on Hilary's behalf that there's no need for disposable bots to make them look bad.

[LiberalLovinLug]

153. Wow

This wasn't a Bernie rally. You'd think all Democrats, anyone left of center, would be supporting this protest. Its very telling though to see that Hillary supporters care nothing for getting money out of politics. That you would ASSUME that anyone fighting for the 99% is obviously NOT your candidate, and so must have derision and arrogance heaped upon them. For you it seems, the importance of WINNING for one millionaire politician is more important than the 99% making any gains.

[aggiesal]

162. What if anything does your response have to do with the article topic?

You think that everyone there is a Bernie supporter?

[rhett o rick]

158. Please don't feed the asshats. They have nothing but rudeness and distractions. The best way to

fight that is to ignore them.

[panader0]

8. Really? You are for corporate money in Politics?

You are lost friend. On the wrong web site. (although it's hard to tell anymore)

[deutsey]

21. I know...

WTF? This is not the discussion board I once thought it was. smh

[Andy823]

51. No it's not

We have right wing trolls playing both sides of DU right now, trying to simply divide the board and cause problems. Their only goal is to divide and conquer. To get as many people here pissed off enough to not vote in November for the nominee, no matter who that might be.

It's really getting disgusting.

[Kittycat]

76. I see what you did there.

[daleanime]

79. And of course there's no reason for progressives....

to be upset.

[Hortensis]

88. Exactly. And, boy, did they bite.

Fwiw, Gomez is not on the ballot. Be sure to vote and vote left.

[KPN]

61. Ditto.

That'S the truth man.

[dorkzilla]

16. Well that was a well thought out response

Bravo! Concise and...pointless.

[Duval]

25. Yawn?

Do you care about your country?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

28. Hillary supporters are like Republicans

[RoccoR5955]

32. many might as well be. n/t

[robbob]

60. I don't see any mention of Hillary or Bernie in the snippet above

Maybe the full article voices support for one candidate over another; haven't read it yet. In the meantime, the protest is about getting big corporate money out of Washington politics. That evokes a "yawn" response from a Hillary supporter? So i guess the conclusion is that this poster has no problem with large corporation buying the people who are supposed to represent us.

Truly sad. Maybe some other Hillary supporters will jump in with posts supporting this movement?

[bvar22]

156. The Clintons feast on Big Money in politics.

Why would she bite the hand that makes her a multi-millionaire?

OTOH, Bernie welcomes Big Money's Hatred.
Yes, Corporate America won't like me....and Wall Street will like me even less.

So, there IS that relationship.

[Beartracks]

78. Hey, if Bernie supporters think something is great...

... then Hillary supporters must automatically reject or dismiss it.

It's in the playbook somewhere.



================

[polly7]

173. A sleepy sock.

[Rex]

177. Looks that way.

Silly pups think cleverness is the same as intelligence.

[Peregrine Took]

31. Narcolepsy?

That's nasty. I once worked with a guy who had it. Quite overweight. Good luck.

[840high]

38. Shame you are not for

the people.

[chknltl]

46. Have a good night then. nuff said

[KPN]

62. Yawn?

Are you kidding? You can go back to your right wing hangout and friends now. There's no useful purpose for you here.

[certainot]

63. you're right in a way a troll would not recognize - protests don't work anymore

money in politics? rw radio is worth at least 390MIL$/month FREE to republicans

protests at state capitols, even THE state capitol, don’t get media anymore. ​and as long as the left ignores rw radio they are fairly ineffective.

we need a lot more protests, but there are a few hundred rw radio dicks with giant megaphones getting a free speech free ride who need to be protested, and the 90 universities that support them, or they can yell over the protests as long as it takes until even our dem reps can use them to ignore the protestors.

they shouted over OWS, they attacked the protestors on the local and national level, and distorted their objectives, and egged on the cops and local govts to clean them out of the streets — and they were ignored, so the protestors could be also. they’ve been doing that for 25 years whenever protestors get any attention.

the biggest enabler of corporate media and politicians is rw radio - and in the biggest mistake in history, the left ignores it.

if americans want politicians to pay attention to protestors they need to go to the source of the problem. right now it is the talk radio gods making sure the frightened republicans don’t cooperate with democrats on anything — budget, scotus, anything — and they do the groundwork repetition needed to sell everything alec/koch/trump

money in politics? those stations spent 25 years telling millions that unions and progressive orgs were putting in as much as corporations

at a cheap $1000/hr x 15hrs/day x 1200 stations, rw talk radio is worth 4.68 BIL$/ year or 390MIL$ /month FREE for pro republican wall st think tank propaganda and swiftboating — and it’s been accumulating for 25 years.

and for their years of support for 270 limbaugh stations these 90 major universities are legitimate places to protest and probably much more effective, because those protests would cause rw talk radio advertisers all over the country to abandon it more than now and the rw radio psyops would collapse in time to give the dem candidate supermajorities.

americans are going to have to try something different.

[randr]

116. I'll bet your panties get all up in a bunch over one arrest at a Trump rally

The media complicity on the downfall of our Democracy is aided by neglect.
Those are people fighting for what Democrats stand for and your attitude reflects badly on your support for Hillary.

[downeastdaniel]

126. so you don't care that the rich call all the shots? shameful

[AlbertCat]

134. *yawn*

Well, I suppose that beats the usual "LOL".

[progressoid]

166. Wow. Here less than a month and already three hides.

Congrats on your meaningful dialog.

[KamaAina]

2. Silent Democracy Spring.

[Odin2005]

3. The ability for the MSM to manufacture "reality" through silence is terrifying.

[elleng]

4. TRULY.

[laserhaas]

12. Concur

[chapdrum]

14. Right. All they have to do

is nothing.

Works well every time.

Not so well for the democracy they like to crow about so often.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

36. Well said. n/t

[bjo59]

40. Yes it is. That Telecommunications Act of 1996 that Bill Clinton signed into law

was a serious blow to a free press that is so necessary to democracy.

[onenote]

132. Care to explain exactly what in the 1996 Act you are referring to?

There is plenty in the 1996 Act -- which was passed by veto-proof majorities in both the House and Senate -- to question, but I'm not sure exactly what the 1996 Act did that made any difference in whether and how this particular story, or any other story, is covered by the news media.

[bvar22]

159. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed the concolidation of Media Power

into just a few hands of the Mega RICH who share the same agenda. Before that, Media Ownership was limited, held in many hands, competitive, and diverse.

[font size=3]Democracy in Peril: Twenty Years of Media Consolidation Under the Telecommunications Act [/font]

<snip>
"The negative impact of the law cannot be overstated. The law, which was the first major reform of telecommunications policy since 1934, according to media scholar Robert McChesney, "is widely considered to be one of the three or four most important federal laws of this generation." The act dramatically reduced important Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations on cross ownership, and allowed giant corporations to buy up thousands of media outlets across the country, increasing their monopoly on the flow of information in the United States and around the world.

Twenty years later the devastating impact of the legislation is undeniable: About 90 percent of the country's major media companies are owned by six corporations. Bill Clinton's legacy in empowering the consolidation of corporate media is right up there with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and welfare reform, as being among the most tragic and destructive policies of his administration."

<more>

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/34789-democracy-in-peril-twenty-years-of-media-consolidation-under-the-telecommunications-act

Clear now?

[onenote]

164. the claim that 90 percent of the nation's major media companies are owned by six corporations is

nonsensical.

To come up with such a precise computation (90 percent, six corporations), one needs to define what are major media companies. Does that term include movie studios? magazine publishers? newspapers? does it include only companies that provide service nationally or does it include local media? Is Gannett (owner of broadcast stations and USA Today) a major media company? Is the New York Times a major media company? Are Google or Yahoo or AOL major media companies? Netflix?

The reality is that while there has been consolidation of ownership of radio and television broadcast stations at the local level, and some national consolidation (Comcast acquiring NBC), there also have been significant changes in the other direction. There were only three national broadcast networks offering news content in 1996. Now there are four. There are more national cable and satellite news channels than in 1996. In 1996, Time Warner Inc. owned cable systems, Warner Bros studios, CNN and a host of other cable networks, Time Magazine, Warner Music and Warner Books. In 2000 in combined with AOL. But today Time Warner Inc. no longer owns cable systems, no longer owns AOL, no longer owns Time Magazine, no longer owns Warner Books or Warner Music. Gannett in 1996 owned tv stations and USA Today, one of the largest circulation papers, as well as a bunch of local newspapers. Today, Gannett owns newspapers (more than before) but the broadcasting business has been spun off into a separately owned company. In 1996, the New York Times owned a number of broadcast properties. They've all been sold off.

I could go on and on and on, if anyone actually cared about the facts. As I said, there are things about the 1996 Act that I question, particularly in terms of consolidation of local tv stations. But the Act has become a whipping boy for those too lazy to look more deeply into the changes in American media, changes that have more do with profit seeking than any legislative changes. These changes, as indicated, include diversifying ownership as well as consolidating it. And they include the development of online sources of content by the thousands -- sources that didn't exist years ago and that are beginning to outstrip some of the "major" media companies, whatever that term means.

You could roll back the world to what was in 1995, but I bet you wouldn't like it. Of course you wouldn't be able to tell us here on DU, since it didn't exist in 1995 either.

[bvar22]

171. It is clear that your rambling word salad "could go on and on".

I choose to believe the experts, and my own experience.
I'm old enough to remember when we HAD a diverse media, owned by many different people with differing opinions, and news outlets that were a Public Service, not a profit opportunity.

...but please DO "go on and on".

[Rex]

181. Their canards are falling one by one.

Panama papers has the old guard out pretending 99% of us don't notice what is written down and factual.

[zentrum]

43. You said it! Terrifying.

[jberryhill]

54. Or the ability to manufacture false assertions

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/11/politics/democracy-spring-arrests-protests-washington/


More than 400 protesters staging a sit-in against the influence of money in politics and congressional inaction to reverse it were arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Monday, the first day of what is expected to be a week-long series of demonstrations.

[redruddyred]

69. we still have twitter

i'm on my own, personal "cable news blackout".

[jwirr]

168. Very scary. But then a lot of what this protest is about has

been ignored by the MSM - they don't want to talk about it now after they are part of the problem.

We have used social media to get Bernie this far - we can do it to help this protest.

[Rex]

178. They have all the power, after 2000 it occurred to them that we are no longer in control.

Maybe we never were.

[underpants]

6. I was completely unaware of this.

Thanks.

[msongs]

7. cenk uygur? must be another bernie campaign stunt for free publicity nt

[oldandhappy]

10. This is serious actually.

People protesting calmly but specifically. Not a joke.

[laserhaas]

13. Concur!...There's more than Clinton News Network for Hillary

The few outspoken journos for Bernie are scorned.
.
The joke is on Hill'bots...however
.
Because all the riggings and we're still here

[oldandhappy]

15. We're still here - excellent line. Will borrow it!

[Duval]

27. "We're still here" gets 1,000 recs!

[cwydro]

20. Did he get arrested?

I'm thinking not.

He looks like a guy who needs his creature comforts.

[Saviolo]

64. He has been arrested

[AllyCat]

95. This is a very nasty thing to say about someone's appearance.

[BeanMusical]

98. Not surprising coming from that poster.

[cwydro]

112. Oh?

Do elaborate.

[BeanMusical]

114. Same old, same old.

He's critical of Hillary therefore he must be vilified and yada, yada, yada. So, how are you doing Bob?

[cwydro]

122. Apparently you've got me mixed up with someone else. My name's not Bob.

I'd never heard of this big mouth until he filmed his tantrum on youtube.

That told me all I needed to know about him.

No idea about his politics, nor do I care.

[BeanMusical]

127. Lol, sure you never heard of him. Clips from his show have been posted here for years.

Now take a deep breath and let go of the hatred. Maybe you should read one of these cool books:





You're welcome.

[cwydro]

136. I have heard his name but I've never watched one of his clips. Ever.

You, dearest, are the one with the hatred. YOU attacked me personally.

I don't attack people based on their politics. I think that guy is a jackass because of that video of him at the airport.

I have no idea who you are, never even seen your name here before, so I'm at a loss as to why you feel the need to be nasty to me. I don't think I've ever interacted with you before, nor do I intend to do so in the future. I don't make personal attacks on fellow posters.

I like Bernie, but I've decided to support Hillary. Perhaps you hate people based on their political decisions. I do not.

Now dearest, I'm quite done with you. I'm sorry your candidate is losing, and that it has affected you in this manner.

I don't put people on ignore, but I will not respond to your nastiness and personal attacks any further.

Have a blessed day.

[BeanMusical]

137. Can you point out where I savagely attacked you personally?

You, dearest, are the one with the hatred.

Yeah, I'm the one hating the brown skin man. They're all terrorists and all look alike, I tell ya!

Bless your heart.

[Rex]

188. Careful! That one pretends to know just how bitter and twisted you are inside!

Save yourself some time now and repent! Repent I say! I love watching the old guard fall apart on DU, it is a thing of beauty.

[BeanMusical]

190. Lol!

[AllyCat]

141. You're right. If you heard his progressive, left stuff

You would disagree.

[cwydro]

113. Oh please. The man couldn't handle a simple flight delay without whining like a baby.

Anyone who travels has had that happen.

I cannot imagine how he could deal with the lack of control involved in incarceration.

Somehow I imagine he had a lawyer all lined up and ready to get him out pdq.

[AlbertCat]

135. The man couldn't handle a simple flight delay

Let's see.... you pay a lot, then think a 4 hour delay is just a simple glitch.... it happens all the time. Getting screwed but it's business as usual so, meh...

How very Hillary!

Just pay out the nose but don't expect anything for it. Business as usual and you are the patsy. But pointing that out makes you an ass.

Oh so Hillary!

Personal attacks that have nothing to do with the real issues.

Look...it's Hillary!

[cwydro]

145. I know who all the personal attacks at coming from.

Sad.

[deacon_sephiroth]

110. I dunno

Maybe do 2 seconds of research instead of just judge the guy and spout off about it? When you're willing to just assume things about someone without learning who and what they are, it makes me want to assume things about you.

[CorkySt.Clair]

147. He got booted off a plane this last week

Apparently he was being unruly and pulled the "do you know who I am card".

Which of course, nobody relevant to the situation did.



I love to see that anti Obama clown inconvenienced.

[BlindTiresias]

155. Lol wow

Good job making yourself look like an ass, I guess?

[NurseJackie]

161. Did American Airlines ban him?

[geek tragedy]

195. source is usuncut.com, they're very harsh on Bernie.

"Bernie Sanders: is it fair he's so awesome?"

Stuff like that.

[oldandhappy]

9. I have been watching Democracy Spring and Bernie2016TV

and learned a lot about the march and the arrests and a Bernie rally!! I am grateful for alternative coverage. yea, the big boys don'd do it any more -- journalism I mean.

[deacon_sephiroth]

111. do you have streaming links?

I haven't found a good place to watch streams from the protest. Any suggestions?

[oldandhappy]

130. Streams

Hi

Type in 'Bernie 2016 TV' -- they usually have all Bernie rallies. Usually hook up with local TV stations for a feed. Usually good coverage. This is an all volunteer channel run thru YouTube.

Type in 'The Young Turks' and you get the TYT people also run thru YouTube. Their channels usually are on late in the afternoon for me -- west coast. Both situations have clips you can watch after the regular broadcast.

I have not checked either one this morning.

Have been daily streams from 'Democracy Spring' re the march (also YouTube) and I assume they will be covering the sit ins. Again, all volunteer. Sometimes the batteries give out on the cams and they have to take a break and go recharge.

Good luck and have patience! Smile.

[deacon_sephiroth]

139. thanks

I'm already subscribed to TYT but I didn't know about bernieTV that's awesome. I'm used to the free-form live streaming that happens on the streets too, I must have watched 200 hours of OWS while it was happening.

[chapdrum]

11. Corporate media complicity, for

decades, is a major reason why progressives don't make headway.

Of course, this is not new news.

CBS's CEO says, publicly, that while Trump "is hurting America," he's great for ratings.

That is its first concern: never mind the endless parade of charlatans/crypto-fascists running for "president."

[AxionExcel]

26. + 1

[sus453]

17. Even Huffington Post has been silent on it, but then

I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[Meteor Man]

52. Silence

Their usual covrrage of politics in general is crickets.

[awoke_in_2003]

144. Arianna Huffington isn't a liberal or even a dem

She's an anti-incumbent

[sus453]

18. It's sad when the only network coverage on an event like

the biggest mass arrest at the Capitol in history is on RT. But then the media has always been complicit. I remember years ago attending an anti-war demonstration (the war, many wars back, was Vietnam) and talked to a Chicago Sun Times reporter. I asked him why that paper always undercounted the number of protesters. The reporter said that when he reported on demonstrations, he would put what he thought was an accurate count, and the editors would change the number to make them smaller. Now, of course, they don't have to do that because there's no coverage at all (and fewer reporters in general).

[Duval]

30. "Corporate" media is undemocratic.

Another reason we will vote for Bernie.

[MH1]

179. NPR reported it.

Not saying that's sufficient, but they did report it.

[elmac]

19. if this were the 1960's this news would be on every news channel

but today, we have no news channels, only corporate propaganda bs.

[valerief]

124. +1000

[Rebkeh]

22. Thank you, protesters!

Keep getting in the way.

[floppyboo]

23. K & R !!!

It should, by now, becoming apparent to any Clinton supporter here on DU that bothers to read any of the alternative media links that they are being truly mind screwed.

1984

[Plucketeer]

24. It's TRULY amazing

that our only coverage of this is via RT. If one can't believe there's truly an "establishment" that works like a well-rehearsed symphony, one is a part of it.

[Uncle Joe]

29. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, elleng.

[sadoldgirl]

33. In other words they are using the same

tactic as they did with OWS, except for the pepper spray.

But let just 200 teapartiers be there and the media will
be all over there.

Just tell me this is not based on the ideology of the M$M.

[dorkzilla]

94. And if a politician was caught in flagrante delicto

There would be a swarm of reporters and camera crews on the Capitol's steps.

We have got our priorities seriously fucked up.

[bvar22]

184. Now THERE is an idea!

Who wants to take one for the team on the Capital Steps?

[dorkzilla]

193. LOL!! Depends on who is at bat :)

[bvar22]

194. I think this idea needs to be implemented...

...on a LARGE scale, multiples of thousands. Now THAT would get some "uncoverage".

I remember from the old days:
[font size=3]"Don't FIGHT for Peace.
FUCK for PEACE."[/font]

Believed it then,
and believe it now.

[dorkzilla]

196. BVAR22 FOR LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD!!!!!

Seriously GREAT idea!!!!!!

I'll sign up!!!

[Peregrine Took]

34. I wish to hell that a bunch of really rich libs/progs would buy a channel so we could get our news.

George Clooney, Matt Damon, David Geffen, George Soros, etc. plus a bunch of those other fat wallet dudes.

This is ridiculous.

[passiveporcupine]

44. Clooney is for Hillary

If he bought a rag, there would be no progressive news on it.

I've always liked him, but he's gone to the right. I bet Matt would be on our side. Soros is backing Hillary, but his Moveon has endorsed Bernie (I bet he's not happy about that). Geffen backs Clinton too.

That's the problem...all the big money is going to center right politicians. They are probably all terrified of Bernie and the idea he might get money out of politics.

[MisterFred]

57. They have.

Many of them online outlets. They're busy promoting the Clinton campaign.

[Dustlawyer]

115. This Primary has shed light on who the true Progressives are right now and who supports

the Third Way.
Howard Dean - 3rd Way;
John Lewis - 3rd Way;
Barney Frank - 3rd Way;
Drawing a blank on the other Clinton surrogates who have come forward for the 3rd Way, but I know the people here at DU could add to this list and show how long it is, feel free. Coffee should be ready now!

[RoccoR5955]

35. After they failed to cover the massive demonstrations in DC BEFORE the Iraq war

You don't expect them to cover something like this, do you?

Corporations are no longer the legitimate media. WE THE PEOPLE are the legitimate media.
And if they think that they will take away the Internet from us, we have the technology to create our own network. We can go back to the old BBS (bulletin board systems) of the 80s and 90s if we have to. Now that we have high speed communications, anything is possible.

[Cassiopeia]

37. The revolution will not be televised.

Iraq, millions marched, but the media ignored it and a more than a few in the Senate and Congress we're so much louder in their glee to promote passing the IWR. They were televised and the press went right along repeating their bullshit.

After all the bank bailouts Occupy saw the same thing. The media went right along telling us how important it was to make the billionaires whole after they broke everything.

I'm not a bit surprised this one is ignored.

A few thousand POC marching against brutality against them, wall to wall coverage with endless speculation about riots and violence. The media happy to try everything they can to keep people and social circles divided.

It's working brilliantly. We have roughly 3/4 of voters voting against their best interests.

[socialist_n_TN]

39. Don't worry about the media........

At first they ignore you. If the protest keep going, like Wisconsin and like Occupy, they will be forced to cover it. The first coverage of course will be with ridicule.

[haikugal]

41. Thanks elleng...kick and recommend!

[anigbrowl]

45. Media silent on story apart from putting it near the top of my news feed

I have yet to see a story with this sort of headline that was actually grounded in reality. In any case this strikes me as a pretty obvious manufactured event of the sort we see all the time.

[86derps]

47. Protesting is Democratic

If you are not for protesting to get our government to work on our behalf then you are not a Democrat. Seriously. These protests need to happen so please do not discredit them. Go protesters!

[Feeling the Bern]

121. agreed. welcome to du.

[stage left]

48. K and Bloody R!

Thank you protestors!

[chknltl]

49. It IS televised where it matters

On RT, Online, On twitter and facebook and here on the big DU. I wouldnt be surprised to learn that this story has legs on foreign news services.

Who even cares anymore about the lame stream media? It is broken! It is so unreliable folks are paying attention to it less and less.

I have not watched ABC, NBC, CBS (nor especially Fox) 'news' in years. CNN is barely relevant during the primaries for their election returns updates and MSNBC has become even less relevant because they are slower with getting those returns posted. Main Stream Media is all but gone in my book and I hardly miss them 'NOR COULD I TELL YOU ABOUT EVEN A SINGLE ADVERTISER THAT PROMOTES THEIR PRODUCTS ON THEM'.

[eridani]

81. The revolution will not be televised. But it will be tweeted, texted, liked and shared n/t

[chknltl]

133. That needs to be a bumper sticker! nt

[SoapBox]

50. Not a word on CBS Nightly News nor

their CBS Radio Network today either.

[AxionExcel]

93. US Media (R, Inc.) unleashes another wave of IGNORANCE

[jberryhill]

53. Here's the "silent" CNN video, btw

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/11/politics/democracy-spring-arrests-protests-washington/


More than 400 protesters staging a sit-in against the influence of money in politics and congressional inaction to reverse it were arrested on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Monday, the first day of what is expected to be a week-long series of demonstrations.

[jberryhill]

55. The silent Reuters report...

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0X82M1

The silent MSNBC report:

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hundreds-arrested-capitol-protest-voting-and-campaign-finance

The silent NPR report

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/11/473874785/hundreds-protest-gerrymandering-campaign-finance-laws-on-capitols-steps

The silent Washington Post report:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/mass-arrests-of-protesters-in-demonstration-at-capitol-against-big-money/2016/04/11/96c13df0-0037-11e6-9d36-33d198ea26c5_story.html

[azmom]

56. Much love goes out to the protesters.

[Rex]

58. Garbage pundits only care about that big paycheck. Garbage in, garbage out.

At one time we had a diverse group of news outlets. Now they all do what it takes to keep a paycheck coming in. That means appeasing their paymasters. Same as it always was.

[Blue Owl]

59. "Pay no attention to 'the man' behind the curtain"

n/t

[blackspade]

65. Awesome.

[MadDAsHell]

66. It's telling re: the state of DU that I never saw a word on here about this upcoming protest. nt

[ChisolmTrailDem]

67. This website is nowhere near what it used to be. nt

[Desert805]

70. Truly

It's incredible.

[tomm2thumbs]

71. shhhhhhh, we don't want to shake up anyone's status in the Primary

keep this on the down-low

--- Yours Truly,
--- The Press

[elleng]

72. OK, shhhhhh!

[tomm2thumbs]

73. mums the word

[braddy]

82. You should have seen the overflow when they arrested 13,000 of us in D.C.

[elleng]

85. When? Today/yesterday?

Or some other time in history?

[braddy]

86. 1971.

"While protesters listened to music, planned their actions or slept, 10,000 federal troops were quickly moved to various locations in the Washington, D.C. area. At one point, so many soldiers and marines were being moved into the area from bases along the East Coast that troop transports were landing at the rate of one every three minutes at Andrews Air Force Base in suburban Maryland, about 15 miles from the White House. Among these troops were 4,000 paratroopers from the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division,troops from Marine Barracks lined both sides of the 14th St bridge. These troops were to back up the 5,100 D.C. Metropolitan Police, 2,000 D.C. National Guard and Nixon’s internal security forces[who?]that were already in place. Every monument, park and traffic circle in the nation's capital had troops protecting its perimeters. Paratroopers and marines deployed via helicopter to the grounds of the Washington Monument."

[BeanMusical]

84. Kick and R

[mwooldri]

87. Yet again... to find out what goes on in the USA I'm turning to....

The British Broadcasting Corporation.

It's not a lot of coverage... heck they got a whole globe to cover... but at least Newsday (which I'm listening to right now) has had a couple of reports.

[Enthusiast]

90. Kicked and recommended! This is encouraging.

[Depaysement]

96. What do they think this is? Tunis? Cairo?

Get a job millenial.

[fasttense]

106. Kicking for eposure despite the handfull of trolls this attracted

The corporate media is en mass staying away from this real event. I wish the trolls would too.

The corporate media would like you to think that protests don't work. When in reality they are the only thing that actually does work.

[JimDandy]

107. NPR just covered it! Short but sweet. n/t

[erpowers]

109. CBS This Morning

CBS This Morning might discuss it this morning. It was mentioned in their show opener.

[Nitram]

117. Great cause, excellent way to demonstrate.

Go DemocracySpring!

[valerief]

123. Bravo! Even thought The Spring will not be televised. nt

[lonestarnot]

125. Not even a fucking peep!

[CorkySt.Clair]

129. America has no shortage of cranks

Cranks getting arrested is not exactly a huge deal.

[elleng]

138. Cranks? Really?

'The Democracy Spring website says the campaign’s goal is to “demand a Congress that will take immediate action to end the corruption of big money in our politics and ensure free and fair elections in which every American has an equal voice.” Furthermore, their proposals include support of the Government by the People Act & Fair Elections Now Act, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 & Voter Empowerment Act of 2015; and the Democracy for All Amendment.'

Are you sure you're in the right place?

[CorkySt.Clair]

146. Really.

[NurseJackie]

165. Thank you.

[postulater]

142. I saw a report about it on local tv in Sebring FL last night.

Mostly about the arrests. The footage was of peaceful protesting. Mention was made of the anti-corporate control goal.

[DangerousRhythm]

148. Why mock a protest for political reform going in the right direction?

For the life of me, I can't even understand why anyone here on DU, anyone who holds beliefs sympathetic to the Democratic cause, would have anything disparaging to say about Democracy Spring.

People boggle my mind, sometimes.

[elleng]

150. Ditto!

[Rex]

167. Because they are not here in good faith.

Some of the posts here during OWS looked like freeper posts, it was a real eye opener.

[bvar22]

185. Like this one?

There is no argument that OWS was, and still is, one of the most successful movement protests in the last few generations.
*It changed the political dialog in the United States....and the World (The Pepper Spray photo was shown around the World)

*It added new words and phrases to our daily lexicon. (Change the language, and you change the World)

*It changed the sound bytes from the President from Eat your Peas to someone at least pretending to care about Working People.

* It spawned the Bernie for President Movement.

*It will remain active, outspoken, and effective with or without Bernie.


To borrow from Winston,
"Never have so many owed so much to so few".
Thank You, OWS.

[Rex]

186. That's it right there, they did not even try to hide they were all reading from the same playbook.

And they still get mad when you bring up all the good OWS is STILL doing...I would hate to be their children, what a miserable life that must be.

[JoeyT]

169. Because they're comfortable and happy with the status quo.

There's a good word to describe that that you hardly ever see used anymore that people pitch a fit here if you call them by it, no matter how accurate it is: "Conservative".

[polly7]

175. That's exactly what I think.

I was talking with a poster yesterday who had no idea Libya happened during Clinton's tenure as SOS and condescendingly told me I couldn't talk about Libya 'intelligently' until she's elected President, so we'll have a chance to see just what she does internationally. This poster is SO satisfied with the status quo, admitting to be financially very secure - they haven't even bothered to find out what's been done to so many in the rest of the world fighting just to feed their children a meal a day.

Like the responses here to these protesters who obviously want and need change, and the spiteful and petty 'yawn'. They're in a comfy, safe bubble and couldn't care less about anyone else.

[bvar22]

191. There are many who "believe" they are financially secure because

they have and IRA, some equity in a home, and a job that appears to be reliable, and the false illusion of "good" insurance.
They don't realize that they are just:

*ONE catastrophic illness in the family (no matter HOW "good" you believe your insurance is)

*One downsizing

*ONE liability lawsuit (even a frivolous one) that can last for YEARS

*ONE disaster deemed an "act of god"

*ONE bad traffic accident

*ONE mis-identification in a felony case (lots of innocent people in jail because of this)

*ONE "Silverado" or "Enron"

*One nasty divorce

....away from needing to BE a Bernie Democrat.

Control is an illusion. The "comfy, safe bubble" is a frail illusion.
It can ALL disappear in a matter of seconds.
Famous chorus from those living under bridges, "I never thought this could happen to me. I thought I was well off. I did everything right"

[polly7]

192. You're right.

I have family and friends there who say the same things .... some are not well off at all and very afraid of any of these things happening.

[felix_numinous]

149. If anyone but Sanders gets in

the demonstrations will be epic, IMHO. The Clintons aren't doing too well handling these kinds of events, they seem too authoritarian, and represent what most people are pissed about. Sanders is the best candidate to mediate these kinds of situations, because he is willing to listen and respond to people.

All the super delegates should follow the people's will, because if it is ever discovered that this election was coerced or stolen, these already angry people will not put up with it. Corruption is being exposed.

[AgerolanAmerican]

152. can you be both shocked and not surprised at the same time?

sort of how I feel about the near-absence of coverage of this story in the lamestream corpmedia

[TIME TO PANIC]

157. K & R!

[JDPriestly]

163. K&R. We all know that our campaign finance system brings unacceptable corruption with it.

We have to change it. I think the majority of americans support this Democracy for All and campaign finance reform movement.

Thanks to all those who are participating.

All citizens should be automatically registered to vote in the precinct in which they are residing at the time of an election.

All citizens should be able to vote regardless of age, creed, color or marital status.

All citizens should be able to donate a limited amount of money to a campaign.

All citizens should have the right to speak as their consciences dictate on any issue without fear of reprisals from the government OR THEIR EMPLOYER (not American law, but was at least at one time the law in Germany).

All citizens should have the right to be excused from work if necessary to vote or have the right to vote by absentee ballot.

No citizen or organization should have the right to exceed certain donation limits for a political campaign.

Candidates who prove a certain level of support for their candidacy should be eligible to receive some government funding for their campaigns.

The personal financial dealings of individuals serving in public office should be disclosed.

[vkkv]

170. It's that LIBERAL MEDIA...eom

[BeanMusical]

180. Kick!

[Hortensis]

187. Well, a bit more reporting. Reportedly 85 arrested

yesterday. A couple of days ago NPR said 400 out of 600 protesters were arrested the first day.

I wonder why this group didn't apply for a permit to protest. It would have made their "event a lot less stressful." It would also have protected the citizens of DC from having to house and feed them during their stay.

Guide to the DC Permit Process

Want to have a protest in DC? You might want to get a permit. We know it can feel like an infringement of your rights in some ways, and some groups have had success with non-permitted protests in the city, but dealing with the police bureaucracy and getting a permit can help make your event a lot less stressful on the day of.

When do you need a permit? Protests of 25 people or more on the National Mall or other National Park Service operated spaces in DC require a permit (click here to see a listing of those spaces) require a permit, as does any event that requires streets to be closed. The Metropolitan Police, because they lost an important court case, are required to allow permit-less marches in the street as long as they stay within a single lane. Demonstrations on public sidewalks are legally permissable without a permit so long as they don't block the walkway and fewer than 100 people are expected.

What's the process? Police officials require very specific details about stages, speakers, tents, food, and potential for violence or counter-protests. They will help you to work out the details over a series of meetings, and permits rarely get denied in DC. However, it is best to start early since permits are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis and DC is a popular place to protest.

Commonly Used Locations:
White House
Embassies
Supreme Court
Federal Buildings
Civic Plaza
Dupont Circle
Etc., etc., etc.

http://washingtonpeacecenter.org/permitprocess

[Rex]

189. K & R for pissing off all the right people!

I love watching them squirm in the morning! I guess protesting and the Panama Papers finally made them crap themselves in anger!

Get off my lawn you dam hippies!