May Day! May Day! The OccupyUSA Blog for Monday (April 30), With Frequent Updates [View all]

http://www.thenation.com/blog/167628/may-day-may-day-occupyusa-blog-monday-april-30-frequent-updates

9:45 Lengthy Wash Post piece on one of best OWS groups, OccupySEC, chats with Carne Ross, other "wonks"...

9:15 Just now, from AP: "Four New York City lawmakers are suing the city over its treatment of the Occupy Wall Street protests. The civil rights suit was filed Monday in a Manhattan federal court. It says police conduct is so problematic that the force needs an outside monitor.The city Law Department had no immediate comment Monday. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has defended police handling of the protests. Occupy demonstrators have gone to court before over particular episodes. The new lawsuit is a compendium of complaints. It says the city and police violated demonstrators' free speech and other rights, used excessive force and interfered with journalists' and council members' efforts to observe. City Council members Letitia James, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Ydanis (ee-DAH'nihs) Rodriguez and Jumaane Williams are among the plaintiffs."

9:05 Interesting piece on OWSers putting their advocacy in context of religious faith and how that affects clergy and churches. ... Peter Dreier on history or May Day and how activists are "breathing new life" into it this year.

8:40 Longtime OWS watcher Sarah Jaffe at Alternet with lengthy May Day preview... CBS News has its own May Day preview that looks at movement as a whole, finds it no longer "cool"--no Kanye!-- and celeb magnet but more militant.... List of events in NYC (including "after party&quot as city says it plans to prevent violence and traffic snarls.