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Photo: Stacy Lanyon
It’s actually really funny how I got involved. Back when Anonymous was
younger, they were doing all of those Scientology protests and shit, and my
brother was really heavily into that, and his friend said that one day that anonymous was going to spark the
revolution that changes the world. He was saying this all calm. He had thought
about it a lot, and he had already seen how it was going to work out. He said, “Ya
know, there’s going to be people in the streets at some point, and it’s just
going to be a question of “Are you ready for it or not.” At the time, I was
like fifteen, and I was all, “Fuck you! You don’t know what you’re talking
about.” I always paid attention to anonymous after that. I saw this article on
this website that I frequent, which wasn’t from Adbusters. It said Anonymous
was going to be planning an Occupy Wall Street. For me, I took it as a way to
show solidarity for people in the Middle East and Palestine and Gaza and Afghanistan.
Just thinking about it gets me sick. I was like, “You know, I’ll go.”
Early in the year, in July I think, there was this End the Fed thing that Anonymous was also planning. I went to that. I showed up. No one was there, so I left in a short amount of time. When I went to this thing, I thought it was just going to be like one day, that everyone was going to go home at the end, and we’d be like, “Yeah, we feel good about ourselves.” I went down with my camera to Bowling Green at noon. That’s what the ad said. It’s funny this shit happened today. I was looking at some footage yesterday. There was a mass of people. It’s funny because I was looking through the crowd of all of these hundreds of people, and I’m spotting faces that I would end up meeting and getting to know and actually being friends with.
Once there, I was like, “This is cool. I feel like this could go somewhere if people get angry enough.” Then, I started realizing that it wasn’t about anger. Everyone was calling it, “The day of rage,” but I was like, “This is more like a day of peace.” I ended up writing that on my cardboard the next day. I had never seen Wall Street look like that. When I showed up, I was surprised that nobody had noticed how crazy it was. There were fucking barricades and cops everywhere. There was a shot I took where there were some people standing on the steps across from the train station at Bowling Green, and there was someone standing on top of a statue waving a flag. There were people in business suits with walkie talkies. I was like, “That looks shady, but this is going to be a one day thing, so it doesn’t matter.” Little did I know they were planning for this since August.
I stayed because I realized that a lot of the people were not from the city, and that they were going to have a hard time procuring supplies that they needed. That’s how I inadvertently started comfort with Lizzy. I said, “I should go grab some people. We’ll go around and get some cardboard for people, some newspapers, and we’ll actually sleep out here." I didn’t expect there to be that many people still there that late. There was actually a really funny stand off because we thought the park was going to close at 10PM, and everything was really tense for like an hour or two. It started getting dark, and rumor started spreading. There was like one thousand people in Zuccotti after we moved from the Bowling Green. I stayed awake because I realized pretty early that around 4AM in Zuccotti the wind just sails through like nobodies business. You would die. I felt like dying. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t think there would actually be that many people staying. It was as many as two hundred.
Early in the year, in July I think, there was this End the Fed thing that Anonymous was also planning. I went to that. I showed up. No one was there, so I left in a short amount of time. When I went to this thing, I thought it was just going to be like one day, that everyone was going to go home at the end, and we’d be like, “Yeah, we feel good about ourselves.” I went down with my camera to Bowling Green at noon. That’s what the ad said. It’s funny this shit happened today. I was looking at some footage yesterday. There was a mass of people. It’s funny because I was looking through the crowd of all of these hundreds of people, and I’m spotting faces that I would end up meeting and getting to know and actually being friends with.
Once there, I was like, “This is cool. I feel like this could go somewhere if people get angry enough.” Then, I started realizing that it wasn’t about anger. Everyone was calling it, “The day of rage,” but I was like, “This is more like a day of peace.” I ended up writing that on my cardboard the next day. I had never seen Wall Street look like that. When I showed up, I was surprised that nobody had noticed how crazy it was. There were fucking barricades and cops everywhere. There was a shot I took where there were some people standing on the steps across from the train station at Bowling Green, and there was someone standing on top of a statue waving a flag. There were people in business suits with walkie talkies. I was like, “That looks shady, but this is going to be a one day thing, so it doesn’t matter.” Little did I know they were planning for this since August.
I stayed because I realized that a lot of the people were not from the city, and that they were going to have a hard time procuring supplies that they needed. That’s how I inadvertently started comfort with Lizzy. I said, “I should go grab some people. We’ll go around and get some cardboard for people, some newspapers, and we’ll actually sleep out here." I didn’t expect there to be that many people still there that late. There was actually a really funny stand off because we thought the park was going to close at 10PM, and everything was really tense for like an hour or two. It started getting dark, and rumor started spreading. There was like one thousand people in Zuccotti after we moved from the Bowling Green. I stayed awake because I realized pretty early that around 4AM in Zuccotti the wind just sails through like nobodies business. You would die. I felt like dying. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t think there would actually be that many people staying. It was as many as two hundred.
It was dark when the night drew. It was dark, but everything
was bright. You could see so clearly for some reason. The first night or two,
everybody would stay up mad late. We would eventually get to chillin’. Everyone
started getting to know each other. There were guitars being passed around all
throughout the park the entire night. It was electric. It was great. There were
cigarettes like crazy. Then, the drum circle took hold. It added a whole nother element.
I think that might have inspired the daily marches. I don’t know, but they were
definitely working together because in the mornings, the drummers would get up.
They would start drumming, and they would march around the park. Then, people
would start following them, and we would march on Wall Street every day at the opening bell. That was a good feeling because I would do that and then I
would got to work, and then I would come back after work. I was like, “Yeah, I’m
actually contributing to society now."
Someone needs to hold these people accountable." It was finally happening. Everyone I normally talked to was like, “Shut up with your hippy shit Milo.” When I got to Zuccotti, it was like, “It’s not hippy shit, and everyone knows it.” It’s just like, “Shit is fucked up. Shit is fucked up and bullshit.” I saw that sign the first day, and I knew that was going to take hold. That’s like the slogan of the occupation right there. What we're doing is important because no one is doing anything. I think at this point, honestly, it’s too late. Even if it is too late, it would be better to get wiped out trying to change it than just sitting down and letting it happen.
Someone needs to hold these people accountable." It was finally happening. Everyone I normally talked to was like, “Shut up with your hippy shit Milo.” When I got to Zuccotti, it was like, “It’s not hippy shit, and everyone knows it.” It’s just like, “Shit is fucked up. Shit is fucked up and bullshit.” I saw that sign the first day, and I knew that was going to take hold. That’s like the slogan of the occupation right there. What we're doing is important because no one is doing anything. I think at this point, honestly, it’s too late. Even if it is too late, it would be better to get wiped out trying to change it than just sitting down and letting it happen.
I hope it will bring about an impossible world. It’s
impossible. I want a world where no one has to work if they don’t want to, and
there will be people who want to work. I like to work. There will be things I
want to do. There will be things other people will want to do, and we’ll all be
able to do it with the help of technology. We would all be advancing each other’s
goals. The skies are really blue in that world. They’re
not that weird grey-blue that you look at all the time. The grass is fluffy and
scented. You can smell it. It’s really nice. It’s not sod. It’s natural. We
still have skyscrapers, but instead of acres of farmland with terrible pollutants
to the soil, we would have these skyscrapers, like maybe in a nice little square
or rectangle in the city. They’d all be devoted to hydroponically growing food
and organic materials for people. Of course there would be hemp. You know, I
have my ulterior motives.
We have transportation that doesn’t pollute endlessly, a world with no acid rain, with no police in the streets arresting people, but there would be watch people that we would watch because they would try and covet power at first. Everyone just feels like doing their part for the betterment of society, or at least for the benefit of those around them rather than themselves. It’s very colorful, colorful like the ninties, and we have spaceships because I was promised flying cars when I was little, and I saw Back to the Future, and I want a hoverboard. It’s not fair at this point. We need hoverboards. There is no more war, but that’s impossible. Nothing is impossible. It’s improbable. I may have my doubts, but I haven’t given up. Everyone would have awesome clothes. Everyone would just look awesome all the time, unless they want to look messy.
We have transportation that doesn’t pollute endlessly, a world with no acid rain, with no police in the streets arresting people, but there would be watch people that we would watch because they would try and covet power at first. Everyone just feels like doing their part for the betterment of society, or at least for the benefit of those around them rather than themselves. It’s very colorful, colorful like the ninties, and we have spaceships because I was promised flying cars when I was little, and I saw Back to the Future, and I want a hoverboard. It’s not fair at this point. We need hoverboards. There is no more war, but that’s impossible. Nothing is impossible. It’s improbable. I may have my doubts, but I haven’t given up. Everyone would have awesome clothes. Everyone would just look awesome all the time, unless they want to look messy.
At that point we’re capable of anything. Because we’re
destroying the planet, of course our outlook looks bleak. I would probably make
guitars and play them all day long and travel and help out communities wherever
I can through my travels. I’d just go around building guitars for everyone.
Everyone would have a musical instrument. I’ll learn how to build violins too,
even if I don’t learn how to play them. I would grow plants everywhere I go. I’d
be like Johnny Appleseed, but Johnny Everyseed. Oh man, that got me feeling
very warm. It’s a very soothing thought to feel there. Oh man. Everything is
just…That’s something I didn’t say. There’s no more depression. People are
happy all of the time. Of course, there’s sadness. Things happen. The society
that we will have by that time will have cut out all the crazy shit that causes
misguided people to act out. It’s a very happy place.
Interview by Stacy Lanyon
http://buildingcompassionthroughaction.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/stacylanyon
https://instagram.com/stacylanyon/
https://twitter.com/StacyLanyon
http://stacylanyon.com/
Interview by Stacy Lanyon
http://buildingcompassionthroughaction.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/stacylanyon
https://instagram.com/stacylanyon/
https://twitter.com/StacyLanyon
http://stacylanyon.com/