A couple of weeks ago I blogged about how stoked I was that libraries are sprouting within the Occupy Movement, most notably, the Occupy Wall Street People’s Library. A couple of days ago the People’s Library was  destroyed by NYC police officers at the order of Mayor Bloomberg.

NYC police destroyed a public library. Honestly, I don’t even know what to say. I am totally appalled that this is happening in America. This is a blatant, obvious, in-your-face repression of free speech.

Frankly I am too upset to write anything coherent. I think the actions of the NYC Police and Mayor Bloomberg speak for themselves. And I think, as Americans, we should all be appalled. Here are some really good blog posts I’ve found that explain the situation and  sum up how I feel:

• The Life and Death of the Great American People’s Library.
• The Enemies of Books: Why we need books, libraries and a free internet
• Tolerance, Censorship and the Occupy Wall Street Library
• ‘Books Are Speech’: Why the OWS Library’s Destruction Is So Upsetting
  “crushing a library feels like crushing our collective imagination, a particularly poignant symbol for a protest mourning the American dream.” 
• American Library Association Defends Occupy Wall Street Library
• ALA Condemns Seizure of Occupy Wall Street People’s Library
• Mess with a librarian, and you get the horn rimmed glasses: Occupy Wall Street

• First They Came for The Library…

Please support the OWS People’s Library. They also have a Facebook page and Twitter account. They accept monetary donations here. Donate books by sending them to the address found here.

There are many rights being violated. The right to free speech hits me hard, being a librarian. There are also reports that journalists are being arrested for merely reporting on the OWS movement!

The right to peaceably assemble is also being violated. Here is a video of college students being callously pepper sprayed while they are peacefully protesting:

Here is an open letter calling for the resignation of the UC Davis Chancellor’s resignation. 

I am upset. You should be too. I want to do something but I don’t want to do anything out of anger. A Facebook friend mentioned that she is proud of the students for continuing to stay peaceful in the face of such brutality. I am proud of them, too. Watch the video to the end (I didn’t the first time). It is absolutely moving. Here are some really good blog posts that articulate what happens:

• Video of UCPD Pepper-Spraying Seated Protesters Directly in The Face. Protesters Yell “You Can Go!” At Police, and Police Leave.
•  Thoughts on the occupy movement and UC Davis in particular