Video: Deranged Man Kicks Tents At Occupy Wall Street, Delighting NY Post

The NY Post's contempt for Occupy Wall Street has fully blossomed into gleeful, unbridled derision. Today's cover story is OCCUPY WALL STREET ANIMALS GO WILD, with the lede: "This is the new face of Zuccotti Park!" Well, it's certainly the Post's new face of Zuccotti Park:

After kicking tents and creating a disturbance, the emotionally disturbed man, Cleveland native Jeremy Clinch, was subdued by a volunteer EMT and handed over to police. The man who emerged from his tent to fight him also neatly fits the Post's narrative: Recai “Rocky” Iskender, 48, of New Jersey, who claims to be an ex-Turkish diplomat. After decking Clinch, he told the tabloid that Clinch "is a Bloomberg agent, disturbing and disrupting the protest." Iskender then donned a message board that read, “USA-Turk Army Ended My Diplomatic Career 6 Times."

Okay, there are definitely a fair number of kooks down there at Occupy Wall Street, but you can look at any grassroots political movement and find plenty of tinfoil hatters. We're sure there were mentally unhinged people hanging out at the Paris Commune ranting about how the hot air balloons were actually alien spaceships coming to abduct them. It's no surprise that the Post will focus on the fringe elements—the druggies and alleged rapist—who sully the movement's reputation, but there are thousands of faces of Occupy Wall Street, which is something the protesters' have stressed since day one with their refusal to name any leaders.

Unfortunately for those camping out there who are serious about the occupation, NewYorkist reports that Clinch was back again last night, yelling and screaming. (Nice work, Bloomberg!) And we're told there's been another clash between a homeless man and a protester this morning, and police aren't taking protesters' wish to file a report seriously. More on that later.

(Additional reporting by Bethany O'Grady)

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on November 4, 2011 11:05 AM

Comments [rss]

parhiscan

Who really pays any attention to Rupert Murdoch's rag anyway. Murdoch is a criminal and hires criminals.

Angelo R. Mozilo

I'd forgotten about the campers, good to see they still bring the funny

69GeorgeWBush69

I automatically assume anyone I see reading the NYPost has a low IQ and a large inferiority complex.

chee1rs

love this

Jay!

Oh...so NOW they want the police's help? Interesting.

bggb

I'm confused, was macing people in the face "help"?

I think I may have figured out why the NYPD fcuks up so much

luke_1

Yeah, I mean one of their central tenets is "We don't want the help of the police."

kevd

What are you quoting?

Mordicai

He's quoting sarcasm.

jfu222

That's their job dude .. you know ..policing? That crazy guy was violent and in need of help. So yeah, protect and serve.

bggb

Once again, critics can't attack OWS on actual ideas, so they are stuck trying ti portray OWS as out of touch, or crazy, or culturally "other".

Critics (Murdoch) are fully aware that polls show increasing support for OWS.

whiteiris

What poll? Ideas? these flea baggers have no ideas.

bggb

And I quote:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/...

Q. Occupy Wall Street is a movement that denounces
inequalities in the financial system that they claim favor the wealthy.
The group seeks social change to address these inequalities through
their activities which include protests, gatherings and commentary on
social media, such as Twitter and Facebook. In general, would you say
you agree or disagree with this group’s overall position or do you have
no opinion?Agree: 36 (27)

Disagree: 19 (19)

No opinion: 44 (54)

Even as the percentage of Americans taking sides on the movement
increased from 46 percent to 55 percent, the percentage of Americans who
said they disagreed with Occupy Wall Street remained unchanged at 19
percent.

In other words, according to this poll, virtually all Americans who
developed an opinion about Occupy Wall Street during the final three
weeks of October came to agree with it.

John_Del_Signore

Well, you fixed his wagon.

LICnative

Note to self- Before kicking over tents in a haphazard manner, check first to make sure the Iron Shiek isn't living in it.

ktinnyc

More like George the Animal Steel.

Eggcream

Wall Street is located in New York City. There are mentally disturbed persons in large numbers in New York City. End of story..

shogan83

Particularly homeless mentally ill people, unfortunately, who are also victims of our inequitable system.

Detex

yeah, but OWS wants nothing to do with them either.

shogan83

Unfortunately, mentally ill people who have not received treatment in years are very hard to handle. OWS is not equipped to deal with a person in the middle of an episode of acute psychosis.