Occupy Wall Street: Raging Grannies Show Support in Liberty Plaza

Sep 26, 2011
Jo Harrington

Photo: Raging Grannies at Occupy Wall Street - Alex Larder

They survived two World Wars and the Great Depression, now New York Metro's Raging Grannies join the Granny Peace Brigade in supporting Occupy Wall Street.

"We have helluva job on our hands," said 96 year old Lillian Pollak, as she arrived in Zuccotti Park to join the Occupy Wall Street protesters camped out there. "We thank you. This is wonderful. I was getting down in the dumps about what was going on, but you have raised my spirits."

This was September 25th 2011, when the anti-corporate, anti-government corruption campaign had entered its ninth day. Protesters had been living in the park - which has been renamed Liberty Plaza for the duration - since September 17th. A diverse mix of backgrounds and ages made up the demography of the demonstrators, but Mrs Pollak was the eldest there.

Born in 1915, in the midst of World War One, she had survived the Great Depression, as well as the Second World War. She was angry about the 'endless wars' that she had experienced in nearly a century as an American citizen.

NYC Metro Raging Grannies Pledge their Support to Occupy Wall Street

Mrs Pollak was flanked by two friends and fellow members of the NYC Metro Raging Grannies. They had been inspired to visit the protest by the recent internet footage, showing police arrests and the infamous pepper spraying of a group of women, on September 24th 2011.

Amongst those detained were two members of New York's Grannies for Peace. Both ladies are in their 70s and they were amongst the younger people, handcuffed and corralled, into orange mesh pens, in the street. The Raging Grannies saw their friends and decided it was time to show their support too.

Standing behind Mrs Pollak's chair, Judith had a bonnet bright with flowers over her grey hair. She was also furious. Referring to the police officers, she raged, "They had their big bodies on those skinny, little twenty somethings." She shook her head, surveying the protesters. "Thank you very much for what you're doing."

"I'm terribly, terribly enthused and excited by the young people here." Mrs Pollak added. "I wish I could do more to help, that's all."

Judith reassured everyone. "We will come as often as we can!"

The Raging Grannies Perform Original Protest Songs on Livestream

Over 5000 international viewers were watching events in Liberty Plaza through the lens of the Global Revolution Livestream. The three Raging Grannies were invited into Occupy Wall Street's Media Station to sing to their cyber audience. They had come armed with a cache of original protest songs, many of them penned by fellow Raging Granny, Corinne Willinger.

They began with Corporations Run the World, before dedicating their next song, Racism Blues, to Troy Davis. Delighted encouragement from the 1000s of people watching caused a hurried shuffle through their song-sheets. The ladies decided upon Throw Away the Constitution and We Shall Not Pay For Endless Wars, with its defiant lyrics, 'We shall not pay for endless wars, we'll pay for health and education, but not for endless wars.' They finished with The Union Maid's Song.

After the technician explained the concept of Livestream, Judith put on her reading glasses to investigate what was being said in the chat channel there. Moderators worked hard to pause it at regular intervals, so that she could keep up.

Unfortunately, a detractor commented with a scathing attack about the Raging Grannies, which Judith read aloud. All three ladies appeared upset by it, with Mrs Pollak bowing her head. The technician apologised, wearily telling them about 'internet trolls'. "We have to ignore that person, Lillian." Judith emphatically told her friend. "It's a troll."

In the meantime, the chat channel was being flooded with an endless stream of positive comments. Dozens of locations were named by people posting such things as, 'Watching from (insert country/US state)! We love you, Raging Grannies!' Thousands of people were simultaneously asking the ladies to ignore the troll. The technician turned his laptop for them to see and all three Raging Grannies cheered considerably.

A History of Protest for the Raging Grannies

The Raging Grannies are no strangers to protest movements, either on a personal level or collectively. The organisation was founded in Canada, in 1987, where there are now 25 locally based groups or gaggles. Another 25 exist in the USA, while Israel, Britain and Australia have each got just one gaggle of Raging Grannies so far. More are expected to follow.

The Raging Grannies International website sets out their mission statement: 'Please pour yourself a cup of tea and join us inside. We are out in the streets promoting peace, justice, social and economic equality through song and humour.'

The NYC Metro Raging Grannies were asked, by a Livestream viewer, what was the first protest in which each of them had personally been involved? Mrs Pollak recalled demonstrating to try to stop the 1927 killing of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Both Italian immigrants eventually died in the electric chair, but history vindicated them. In 1977, on the 50th anniversary of their execution, Governor Michael Dukakis declared their innocence. They had effectively died as a result of the anti-Italian sentiment of the times.

Judith was just a child, when her mother took her to campaign on behalf of Democrat candidate, Adlai Stevenson II, in the 1952 presidential election race. Illinois governor Stevenson lost out to General Dwight Eisenhower. Judith still felt sad about that. The unnamed third Raging Granny remembered a student protest at New York University, in which she joined her brother. They had been asked to pay $13 for her brother's education. Though that sounds cheap now, it was being asked during the Great Depression. She informed viewers that, "It was just too high!"

Mrs Pollak wished that the Raging Grannies could do more for Occupy Wall Street, but she was pragmatic about their age. "It's up to the young to really take over."