Erstellt am: 15. 11. 2011 - 15:28 Uhr

Occupy Wall Street protest sites cleared - but what next?

Reality Check: OWS, Ratings agencies, Austrian anti-terror legislation, Aung San Suu Kyi, Hemayat

When Occupy Wall Street started back in September, the first story we did about the movement was asking the question of why the protest was not receiving much coverage in the mainstream media. The conspiracy theorists who were saying this was an example of suppression of the media need not have worried. It may have taken a little while for the story to take hold, but within 2 months it has shot to the top of the news agenda, vying for headlines alongside the Euro crisis.

As the movement began to spread, the question soon arose of how long it would last. Some analysts were saying that the cold weather would be the big test. Camping out during the warm weather is not too bad, but as winter sets in, ít's a different matter.

As temperatures start to drop, the US authorities are starting to move in on many of the "Occupy" sites. Oakland was cleared yesterday, and protesters in New York's Zuccotti Park, where OWS started, were moved on last night. They have been told they can go back after the park has been cleared and cleaned, but that tents and camping equipment will not be allowed.

It will now be interesting to see how many return, and how many seek a new direction for their protests. The "Indignados" in Madrid gave up their occupation to turn their attention to other forms of campaigning. As the frosts start to bite, maybe New Yorkers will do the same.

The ratings rumpus

The European Commission is setting out plans to curb the influence of the ratings agencies. The EU says they are often making a bad situation worse, and the American monopoly of major credit rating agencies biases the view and upsets the markets.

John Cummins asked Thierry Philipponnat from the financial watchdog Finance Watch, whether setting up an EU based agency would help balance things out.

New Austrian anti-terror policy

The Austrian cabinet has agreed controversial new anti-terror laws, but critics say they give police powers that could contravene human and civil rights. Joanna Bostock asked Dr Rupert Wolff, the president of the Austrian Bar Association, what type of rights the new legislation could infringe.

Aung San Suu Kyi could take her party into parliament

Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been in talks with the military leadership in Burma, negotiating the right for her party to register for elections after an earlier ban. This could see Suu Kyi and her party taking up seats in the parliament. But is this really a triumph for democacy, or just an effort by the miltary to curry favour with the International Community. Riem Higazi talks to Mark Farmaner of the Free Burma Campaign.

Hemayat

The Austrian organisation offering support for victims of war and torture talks to Riem Higazi about their work and their fund raising efforts.

FM4 Reality Check

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