#214: MAy 2016 The IndypendenTyears A FRee pApeR FOR FRee peOpLe VeRIZOn’S STRIKInG WORKeRS, p4 pIpeLIneS VS. pLAneT, p14 ReMeMBeRInG pRInCe, p18 BATTLe OF ny phOTO eSSAy, p2 MIChAeL RATneR, p3 CUny STRIKe VOTe, p5 nypd, nOT TO The ReSCUe, p6 eLeCTIOn BOARd COnFROnTed, p7 My BeRnIe JOURney, p8 GOOdMAn & SOLnIT, p16 The LIBeRAL COCOOn, p17 WhAT’S neXT? TWO OCCUpy-InSpIRed ORGAnIZeRS WhO heLped LAUnCh The BeRnIe SAndeRS MOVeMenT LOOK TO The FUTURe. p10 DAVID HOLLENBACH insiDe 2 BACK Vote BerNie or Bust? soMe deLeGates two-party systeM MEDIA apriL 19 are More super iN sHaMBLes, Lesser BreaK tHe MaCHiNe tHaN otHers eviLs oN tHe ropes THE BATTLE OF NEW YORK The IndypendenT tuesDAY, APril 19, 2016 #BattleofnewYork #notMeus Cover art: Nona Hildebrand, w/Zak Greene & Jb. Photo: Tod Seelie Tod Photo: Jb. & Greene w/Zak Nona Hildebrand, art: Cover CoroNatioN or eLeCtioN YOU DECIDE! Five years ago we learned to occupy hierarchy of old. When Clinton says things tion newspaper before the primary, in just Wall Street, to speak less to power and won’t get better, that we won’t get health- the past few days. Operation Battle of New more truth to each other. When Eric care or that war is permanent — even with York can’t replace “the media.” But we can, Garner cried out, “I can’t breathe” in THE INDYPENDENT, INC. his final moments — we knew exactly no declared enemies — there is no reason in this moment, see each other. what he meant. With the entire political, in the world to accept this. Our problems are global and so are economic and media establishment And for once, there’s actually a choice. the voices of this project. This is not an united, this vote is a referendum on them. And the chance of a lifetime for us. For the first time in living memory, the argument that Sanders will save the day it aLL CoMes New York Democratic primary is the de- in all the ways Obama didn’t. As Sanders A BATTLe WORTh WAGInG his is the new movement: interactive, cisive ballot in a presidential election. said, he can’t do it alone — so here we are. 388 Atlantic Avenue, 2nd Floor tyoung and not mediated by established And here’s the truth: the Republicans are Millions of people are needed to seize this dowN to tuesday power. Occupy Wall Street is not a de- a farce and Clinton is weak. The future moment, and not just at the ballot box. ong after the media has recycled its last seven straight primaries and caucuses traNsit worKers mand, but a direct challenge. Black Lives is unwritten. The Democratic National Committee cliché about humble, corn-fed Iowans, by double-digit margins but still trails Matter is not a request, but a statement of When Bernie Sanders echoed Oc- chair said openly that the superdelegate flintyL New Hampshirites and pious, god- Clinton by 214 pledged delegates thanks eNdorse saNders, intention. We are not protesting power, we cupy Wall Street, called for racial justice system is designed to protect the party’s Brooklyn, NY 11217 fearing South Carolinians, the presidential to her dominance in the Deep South ear- are exercising it. and spoke of peace as if it were possible, it leadership from the grassroots. We will primaries come to New York every four lier in the primary season. About 1,650 CaNdidate staNds After Obama, Clinton and decades of means he heard us. see about that. years as an afterthought. delegates remain to be allocated in the lesser-evil, fear won’t make us accept a bro- This is how we meet him back, and We’re not just fighting for delegates But not this time. Democratic race. witH LaBor ken status quo. It’s not just Trump or Cruz speak to each other. — we are fighting for our lives. The 2016 presidential primaries were When Sanders, a self-proclaimed early 40,000 Verizon workers walked here in America: almost every country in New York’s media cartel is so dis- 212-904-1282 supposed to be coronations for Hillary democratic socialist, launched his presi- off the job April 13 in the largest strike the world has a fear-based movement that credited that thousands have contributed the editors Clinton and Jeb Bush (remember him?) dential campaign last May, he stood at 3 Nin the US in five years. They were soon promises to restore the financially to create this special-edi- Instead, they have become prolonged bat- percent in the national polls and was wide- joined at a Brooklyn picket line by Bernie tles that have revealed deep fissures within ly depicted as a fringe candidate who stood Sanders. both the Democratic and Republican par- little chance against the Clinton machine. “Today, you are standing up not just www.indypendent.org ties. On April 19, New York voters will play Sanders supporters didn’t get the memo, for justice for Verizon workers,” Sanders tHe poiNt is CHaNGe CaN CoMe a crucial role in shaping the outcome of especially the young. Instead of taking told striking members of Communications By John Tarleton tributions from Cornel West, Michelle Alex-both races. their cues from traditional media sources, Workers of America. “You’re standing up “ aBout, But it oNLy CoMes aBout On the Republican side, Donald they communicated across social media, for millions of Americans who don’t have Trump is seeking a commanding victory shared memes and studied old YouTube a union.” wHeN MiLLioNs of peopLe are in his home state in the hopes of put- videos that revealed striking contrasts be- Verizon’s profits have totaled $39 bil- Twitter: @TheIndypendent ander, Glenn Greenwald, Jodi Dean, Gregting his openly racist campaign back on tween the two candidates over the past 30 lion over the past three years and its CEO aCtiveLy iNvoLved iN poLitiCaL track for a first-ballot victory at the Re- years. Those differences exist both in their takes home $18 million a year. However, publican convention in July. In the Demo- political views and their willingness to the company is demanding that its workers struGGLe. tHe BiLLioNaires May cratic race, former Secretary of State Hill- lead the fight for progressive causes before agree to the offshoring of more of their jobs ary Clinton finds herself battling to win those issues became popular. to low-wage countries and health care costs Have tHe MoNey, But facebook.com/TheIndypendent e felt the Bern, and then Grandin and Ray McGovern, among others.her adopted home state against Bernie for retired employees. we have the people. Sanders. The Vermont senator has won Continued on back CWA had already endorsed Bernie Sanders in December. In a bold move days before the April 19 Democratic primary, we acted on it. This project was made possible by an out- Transport Workers Union Local 100 gave their endorsement as well to Sanders who insists that his self-described “political revo- vote tuesday, apriL 19 lution” requires a fighting labor movement. In the run-up to New pouring of support. We received $70,000 in “In Bernie Sanders, we see a kindred Poll sites oPen 6:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M spirit,” TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen said to an enthusiastic crowd of BOARD OF DIRECTORS: about 300 transit workers. “Bernie Sanders You must be a registered member of the has been fighting against the ‘powers that Democratic Party to vote in this primary. York’s April 19 presiden- crowd-funded donations courtesy of more be’ in this country on behalf of all American workers his entire life.” If you are not sure of your poll site, you can find it by On the following day, fast-food workers Visiting https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us in hundreds of U.S. cities walked off their Ellen Davidson, Anna Gold, For new York City residents, call 866.Vote.nYC tial primary, The Indy- than 1,600 backers in the United States and jobs to press their demand for a $15 per wage and the right to form a union. if you are unable to vote on April 19, you may absentee vote in person until Monday, April 18 at By Justin Molito Ashley Williams disrupts a Hillary Clinton fundraiser at a private home in Charleston, your local county board of elections. Alina Mogilyanskaya, pendent set aside plans for its regular April around the world. More than 1,000 volun-South Carolina. When Williams asked why the candidate had used the term “super pred- Labor for Bernie ator” to describe young blacks, she was escorted out of the $500 per-person gala. W Zoe Matthiessen Ann Schneider, John Tarleton issue to co-publish a special edition in tan- teers helped distribute hundreds of thousands dem with The Occupied Wall Street Journal. of copies in the New York City area as well The goal was to stage a massive independent as across upstate New York. While Bernie EDITOR: media intervention on the home turf of Wall Sanders did not win in New York, this proj- John Tarleton Street, the corporate media and the Demo- ect gave us a glimpse of what people-powered cratic Party machine. media can achieve. CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Known as The Battle of New York, this extra large, four-page broadsheet newspaper Ellen Davidson, featured beautiful graphic design with con- Alina Mogilyanskaya, Nicholas Powers ILLUSTRATION DIRECTOR: Frank Reynoso DESIGN DIRECTOR: Mikael Tarkela DESIGNERS: Steven Arnerich, Anna Gold CALENDAR EDITOR: Seamus Creighton ANNA GOLD SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: Elia Gran GENERAL INQUIRIES: [email protected] SUBMISSIONS AND NEWS TIPS: [email protected] ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION: [email protected] RIO VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTORS: Sam Alcoff, Linda Martín Alcoff, Bennett IN THE SUBWAYS: A commuter Baumer, Devika Bilimoria, Duane takes a copy on the way into the Union Square station.