Monday, August 08, 2011

 

"Let 'Em Eat Cake/Eat the Rich/No Comfort Zone Street Party: Part 2






















The guard at the gate said no : the party walked in .Though the staff was likely a bit confused and uncertain , at the beginning  it seemed welcoming as Penley's party made its way under the bright lights to the the central portion of the BMW Guggenheim Lab. During most of the event  staff members sat or stood quietly on the perimeter of the action , some photographing and videoing the party members .We attempted to speak with a few staff members and were told that they had been told not to speak with us .Later these staff members , clearly conflicted  ,did talk about what was happening and how they felt about it all .Seems that they had anticipated this event .They certainly had reason to anticipate , Mr. Penley had previously told them that he was bringing a street party to the Lab.

The same folks that speak out at the corner 7th Street and avenue A to the wreak of bum piss , passed out drunks and  nodding junkies were at the BMW Guggenheim Lab Saturday night  under the bright lights of an utterly sterile stage .Their message was nothing new ,the same messengers too delivering it not to the passing souls on avenue A , but to the Guggenheim staff .

Top billed L.E.S. Jewels made his entrance with his entourage from the opposite end of the Gug Lab .He spoke a poem written for the evening . Amazingly sober and with his pants on he comported himself honorably as one of the main acts of the evening .

The few truly tense moments occurred when Mr. Penley refused a request  from staff members to not smoke . Mr. Penley taunting , challenged a staff member to call the police , opening a hard pack of Marlboroughs and offering cigarettes to other members of the party  . Several lit up and smoke  dramatically curled around in the bright stage lighting .Reasonably the Gug staff seemed not to want cops and the press attention  that their presence would bring . Mr. Penley also introduced a masked member of the group "Annonymous" noting that perhaps BMW and the Guggenheim might be next on the hackers list .

What did this party at the Gug Lab matter ? As we've noted nothing was said  that hasn't been shouted out many times at the entrance to Tompkins Square Park . Some stood Saturday night to power and wealth? Whatever it is that was accomplished its likely as significant as the usual intellectualized drivel that oozes from think tanks .

  

Comments:
It was good of them to let us in, but why didn't they engage in the conversation? Questions were asked, but they offered no answers.

Thanks to everyone who came out and participated. The neighborhood still has a voice.
 
Aha, yea what rebels, smoking in the city and wearing an anon mask....sure you're with anon....
 
So they threatened to hack a museum? I'm sure there are vital secrets at the Guggenheim just waiting to be revealed....Idle threats and cigarette smoke are the new weapons of protest?
 
LONDON'S burning all accross the town Sure glad this was a protest that did not get out of control.
 
Great photos and documentation, Bob! Good to see people taking action out there, something so rare these days
 
Like Bugs Bunny used to say: "WHAT A PERFORMANCE!!!!"

[Oh, and AnonymASS is just as pathetic as ever, I see....]
 
will the shadow put out a special update on the park scene the row and YUPPIES YUPPIES YUPPIES
 
What a sad excuse for a protest. The pictures made me depressed. It looked like a handful of sad people with no lives out looking for attention. It is too bad that this is what protest has come to in the East Village. Why protest a temporary exhibit space? Why not tackle larger enemies like NYU?
 
Protest in the EV if you want. But if you don't live in the EV go protest in your own neighborhood and leave the business of the neighborhood watch to those of us who stuck with it.
 
If you are going to protest corporate and government intrusions you can't be accepting handouts like food stamps. Stop taking and maybe you will be taken more seriously.
 
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