Neither more nor less

I'm not from the area but am just wondering how the nearby yuppie transplants living on Avenue A and B responded to this event? Was there an acknowledgment of its historical relevance?
 

Not yet but time will tell .
 

"Karl the Trotskyist lives in the neighborhood and today owns his own squatter apartment ."

Fascinating.
 

in my opinion, this is yuppiedum, to be involved in this scene. east village was never all one thing. to see this many people out there walking around, I figured the ones really into it, weren't from the area. Anyway, it was good to see all of it. but to glorify it gets to me somehow. I don't understand violence and music, it makes me puke.

to me, the east village is about love.
 

"Karl the Trotskyist lives in the neighborhood and today owns his own squatter apartment"

Karl, aka "the Troll," aka Frenchie," was taken in by a kind-hearted drunk squatter named Kirk when Karl was evicted from the Dos Blockos squat on East Ninth. Karl systematically terrorized Kirk into leaving the apt. that Karl now "owns" by virtue of his paying monthly dues to a "housing" group.

And where does Karl, who never does a stitch of work in his miserable life get his money? Why, from the very gov't. he rails against -- all he's got to do is "act" crazy (not much of a stretch for him) in order to "prove" he's not able to work. He's "sane" enough to pick up his monthly check, eh?

To maintain his political "creds," Karl gloms onto every political action and event, not in a planning or participatory role that would require WORK which he abhors (which matters none, because NO one will work with him), but always just within camera range in order to APPEAR that he's in on what's happening. (Unfortunately, this blog gives the public the impression that he IS a part of the activist community.)

Karl can usually be seen on the LES on every food line, getting free eats wherever they're available.
 

These guys are part of the activist community . Though it may be true that most in the activist communty want them gone it is true that they are still part of the show today and they certainly did have as stated a considerable hand in manifesting the protests and riots of the late 80s and early 90s .
We were there and saw this with our own eyes .
 

Yes, they have been around for a long time, and most everyone does want them gone, as you've said, and they may have played a periferal role in demos and riots of the past.

However, Karl and Richie are not "activists" simply by virtue of their ability to join in and golom onto events and demos organized and run by others. And they certainly do NOT have any role in political organizing or event planning or execution on the Lower East Side.

One of the problems with Karl and Richie is that in the course of their jumping in on demos and events run by others who do the grunt work of putting everything together, Karl and Richie make provocative remarks, threats and other statements to bystanders and to the media, as though they are speaking for the group(s) that have organized the events. This leads to a false impression given to members of the public and negative press coverage, and of course, gives these two the credibility and publicity they crave.

Accordingly, we believe it is important to emphasize wherever possible that, whatever their perceived roles were in the past, Karl and Richie do NOT speak for and are NOT a part of the Lower East Side activist community.

They have no friends here -- their presence is merely tolerated by a community that accepts misfits like them.