Lech Szporer

NBC Arrest/Pulling Down Police Barricade (New York, USA, 2011)

NBC Arrest/Pulling Down Police Barricade (New York, USA, 2011)

This is a series of media interventions that took place during the Occupy Wall Street movement.

The police barricade is used as an extension of the prison into public space. Often under the guise of public safety, law enforcement justifies degrees of crowd control during public events, especially during protests and demonstrations, in order to keep the traffic flowing and business running as usual, thereby nullifying any financial strain public political agency might effect on those abusing power.

On the one hand, I pulled the police barricade down as a sort of sketch or prelude to The Cage Project, to test the waters, legally and aesthetically speaking. On the other hand, I wanted to demonstrate to the crowd of people that a barricade is just a barricade and the social construct of authority figures and lawful conduct is mere theater. So I yanked the barricade down in front of both the police and the roaring crowds, knowing full well I would get arrested.

Of course I had hoped the people would follow my example and rip apart the cage they were kettled into, but this did not happen. I took what brief opportunity I could to speak about the social significance of aesthetic interventions on NBC news while being hauled off to the paddy wagon. A lucky media capture before a dreadful night in jail.

Protest is theater. And ‘post-traumatic theater’ is confrontational. The arrest was staged, regardless of whether or not I actually got arrested. There’s a dance between protester, cop, and camera. And yet theater is real nonetheless.

Letter to Lech Walesa (New York, USA, 2011)

Following my publicized arrest, former President of Poland and leader of the historic Solidarity Movement, Lech Walesa, was formally invited to Liberty Square (Zuccotti Plaza) with the hope that he would support Occupy Wall Street. I even pretended to be named after him, thinking this might persuade him. He chose not to join us in person, following a political intervention from conservatives in the US House. But he did speak publically in support of OWS. Unfortunately, we were not capable of dispelling the faulty Left v. Right narrative in mainstream political discourse.

Articles (New York, USA, 2011)

“The Guy Who Brought Down Communism In Poland Is Coming To Occupy Wall Street” (Business Insider)

“Lech Walesa flies to New York to occupy Wall Street” (Vijesti)

“Lech Walesa praises Occupy Wall Street” (Seattle Times)

“Lech Walesa sluit zich aan bij anti-Wall Street-betogers” (De Morgen)

“Lech Walesa, former Polish president, to visit New York in support of Occupy Wall Street” (NY Daily News)

“Pete Seeger, Lech Walesa and Occupy Wall Street” (Daily Caller)

Podcast (New York, USA, 2011)