Sanna Chu Ann Humphreys, 42, hoola hoop teacherCity Room reported that 124 people were arrested near Wall Street earlier today, on the anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Gothamist noted that several of the arrested were in wheelchairs. Meanwhile other protesters are amassing at Liberty and Foley Square for public assemblies.
Around 1 p.m. Union Square, the site of many previous demonstrations, was relatively quiet. Volunteers manning the Occupy table were redirecting people downtown for scheduled events. But one woman, a hoola hoop teacher, was doing her part: Ann Humphreys, 42, was offering free hoola hoop lessons in what she hoped was the spontaneous and joyful spirit of Occupy. “I see the hoop as a way to bring the pressure down,” she said.
Based in North Carolina, Ms. Humphreys travels the country espousing the uplifting benefits of the hoop. She spent a few days at Zuccotti Park last October. “Back in the early days,” she said, “I noticed just the presence of hoop dance – the fun and levity – brought smiles to everybody’s faces.”
On Friday, Second Avenue lounge Lit celebrated its ten years as a gathering place and showcase for downtown’s musicians, artists, D.J.s, and plain ol’ cool kids. The Local managed to squeeze a video camera into the crowded house and spoke to owners Erik Foss and David Schwartz, along with Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (one of the night’s many star D.J.s) and Alli Pheteplace and Ryan Macdonald of the Bootblacks, who performed downstairs. Stay tuned this week as we look back on ten years of bands (everyone from Panthers to Japanther), art shows, and bathroom hijinks, and feel free to share your own Lit stories (if you can remember them?) in the comments.
While East Ninth Street warped back to the 1960s (see The Local’s Flickr page for photos of today’s “Inside Llewyn Davis” action, including some shots of the Coens brothers at work), East Seventh Street traveled even further back in time today, as men in Revolutionary War regalia fired muskets into the air.
The five armed and costumed soldiers were members of McSorley’s Militia, who muster themselves each year for the anniversary of the founding of McSorley’s Old Ale House.
Shane Buggy, a 24-year-old bartender at the storied saloon, said, “Today is our 158th Anniversary: 17th of February every year. It’s the only day we have music in the bar so all the regulars come from near and far to check out the activities.” Mr. Buggy, who is Irish, added, “I’ve actually got people that come here from Ireland just to see this anniversary.”
One of the regulars waiting in line to get inside the bar was Brad Lauster, 36, an IT entrepreneur. Asked why he came to the pub today, he said, “I was probably here for the first time 15 years ago, just with a friend who lived in New York City at the time, and so now I live in Brooklyn and we were walking by and it’s the anniversary.”
