‘Day of Rage:’ ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protest to Continue for Days [VIDEO]
Protesters congregated in New York's Financial District on Saturday for a global Day of Rage movement called Occupy Wall Street to protest corporate greed in a demonstration set to last days.
In a modest call to action which began on Sept. 17, nearly 1,000 protesters gathered on streets surrounding the New York Stock Exchange in a demonstration against Wall Street to curb the dominant influence of corporations over lawmakers.
The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%, the Occupy Wall Street Web site said.
Mirroring protests in Egypt, the leaderless demonstration was derived from online magazine AdBusters and spread on social networking Web sites using the hashtag OccupyWallStreet.
On the 17th of September, we want to see 20,000 people to flood into lower Manhattan, set up beds, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months, the mission statement read. Like our brothers and sisters in Egypt, Greece, Spain, and Iceland, we plan to use the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic of mass occupation to restore democracy in America. We also encourage the use of nonviolence to achieve our ends and maximize the safety of all participants.
Originally intended to take place near Broad Street at Exchange Place near the Stock Exchange, about 1,000 protesters, instead, met at the famous bronze Charging Bull Statue at the Bowling Green Park to take the bull by the horns, according to a flyer.
Infamous hacking group Anonymous was part of the protesters, releasing a brief video to rouse participation and a live stream of the Wall Street protest.
NY1 reported that tents, kitchens, and barricades were set up in the protest areas with free food stations for sustenance during the days-long protest.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Friday that protesters under law are allowed to assemble as long as they do not infringe others' rights.
People have a right to protest, and if they want to protest, we'll be happy to make sure they have locations to do it, said Bloomberg during a press conference.
As long as they do it where other people's rights are respected, this is the place where people can speak their minds, and that's what makes New York New York.
According to ABC, police officials said most protesters have been compliant and only a few have been arrested during the Occupy Wall Street protest. Two people were arrested for wearing bandanas and others were questioned for having walkie-talkies underneath their clothing.
The Occupy Wall Street protest has no end point in mind, as some protesters are planning to stay from Saturday at noon when it began up until Wall Street employees commute to work Monday morning, according to MSNBC.
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