Space Occupants

Well, it’s Day 10 of “Occupy Harvard” — or, given recent trends reinforced by my findings today, perhaps more accurately “Non-Occupy Harvard.”

I began my latest tour of the gate areas and of the “encampment” about 8:45 a.m., at the west gate to Harvard Yard adjoining Massachusetts Avenue.  Here’s a wide shot (you can see the tents in the distance, behind the police cruiser — click on the photos for full-screen detail):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a zoom photo, shot through the right of the gate (that’s the John Harvard statue in the center):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those interested in a look at Harvard Square, here are a couple of photos, one a panorama (note the time on the bank clock):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I next walked north, then east to the north gate (adjoining the Science Center), where I happened upon a blue-uniformed Harvard motorcycle cop talking with a yellow-jacketed regular Harvard cop (I didn’t know Harvard had motorcycle cops):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I continued walking east, then south, until I reached the east gate near Lamont Library.  By then the Harvard motorcycle cop was talking with the guards posted at that gate:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I then walked south, then west, to the main south gate on Massachusetts Avenue.  The gate was heavily staffed by both regular Harvard cops and Securitas officers (in brown jackets); here are several shots:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There sure are a lot of guards; are they expecting an invasion?

Then the Harvard motorcycle cop showed up.  He sure does get around!   I’m not sure what he was chatting about with the guards — maybe about the empty “encampment” (see below).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then a group of tourists piled out of a grey bus and started taking photos of the gate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I spoke with the woman in blue in the second photo.  She said they were visiting from China.  I asked whether they had wanted to visit Harvard Yard.  In somewhat broken English she responded, with a mixture of exasperation and resignation, with what I rate as the quote of the day:  “It is prohibited!”

I next toured Harvard Yard and circled the “encampment,” documenting that today, as was the case yesterday, no one is actually occupying the site (at least not visibly).  Here’s a shot from the southeast corner of the Yard:

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a shot from the south:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a shot from the southwest (the Securitas guard in the middle was the only guard I saw in the immediate vicinity):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s another shot from the southwest, showing that even the info desk was abandoned (apparently all the so-called members of “Occupy Harvard” are occupying Yale today, at The Game):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the view from the west:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a view from the southwest:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, outside the perimeter of Harvard Yard, where squadrons of guards stand watch over empty tents, those denied access to this exclusive enclave do their best to cope.

A woman walks down Massachusetts Avenue opposite the south gate . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. . . while another woman runs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Brattle Street a panhandler panhandles . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. . . while Bruno (brown  male dog) tries getting friendly with Miranda (white unspayed female Siberian Husky) to their owners’ amusement (his owner, wearing a Boston University sweatshirt, explains that Bruno is unneutered, “but not for long,” telling him, “get it while it’s hot!”):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

–“Major Tom”

 

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 19th, 2011 at 8:36 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.