Today I marched with the Occupy Wall Street movement as we demanded a
change to our economic model in America that is only serving 1% of the
population. We are the 99%, and that is why we were Marching. It started
as we all gathered in Liberty Plaza which has become the center and the
pulse of the revolution.
The head of the march chanted out demands and spoke in a call and response echo, which sadly I wasn't close enough to hear.
But when we started moving and marching the energy was amazing. So many people speaking their minds and standing up for their right to assemble, their right to free speech, and our right to dissent in an America which has abandoned so many.
Favorite CHANTS:
All Day, All Week, Occupy Wall Street!
The Banks got Bailed Out - We Got SOLD OUT.
WE. ARE. The 99 Percent. YOU. ARE. The 99 percent.
The March went along without too much commotion, all along the route police officers told us to stay on the side walk, and we stayed on the side walk.
I followed the group onto the bridge, and police officer walked along side me. We began following a large group of marchers ahead of us, and we were on the rodaway, but it seemed to be blocked off, and the police were near us.
AT NO POINT DID ANY POLICE OFFICERS TELL US NOT TO WALK ON THE ROADWAY. The did not tell us we would be arrested if we did not clear the roadway.
But they seemed sneaky. It seemed like they were hiding something, so I decided I wanted to hop the fence and get onto the pedestrian walkway. There were many other protesters walking on the bridge, and Jay and I hopped the fence and got out of the road.
WE BARELY MADE IT OUT, because the rest of the protesters on the bridge were TRAPPED by orange nets the cops walked onto the bridge. The cops came out with plenty of plastic cuffs hanging from their belts, and they were all in agreement that all of the protesters on the roadway were going to be arrested.
Painfully slowly they used the nets to block off the road, and arrested the "criminals" one by one. 400 peaceful protesters were rounded up and put in paddy wagons and buses.
Even those of us who were peacefully assembled on the pedestrian walkway, the police used orange nets to divide us, and separate us into small groups and pressure us to leave the bridge. We wanted to stay in place and watch what was happening during the arrests, but they bullied people into leaving.
When they were taking people to the bus, we chanted.
Arrest the bankers! Arrest the real criminals!
It was an intense thing to watch as we realized that all 400 people on the bridge were going to be arrested, that they were not going to let them walk off the bridge. I was very very happy we made the decision to get out of the road, but I'm telling you, I was never warned, I just had a gut feeling I needed to get on the other side of the fence.
I did not leave so easily. I kept saying, " I am staying here to protect my fellow citizens. I don't want to leave! Why do I have to leave. I am within my rights to stand here on this pedestrian walkway."
At this point we were in our own confrontation with the police, and the now small and dedicated group of us chanted.
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY! FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY!
Another great chant was:
Whose BRIDGE?
OUR BRIDGE!
Whose BRIDGE?
OUR BRIDGE!
But if this is what it takes to get the New York Times to cover the march, then this is what it takes. The 99% is not going anywhere, so everyone, get down there, and OCCUPY WALL STREET.
Sheila D.
Grassroots Report!
