By PAUL LAVERACK
POLITICAL MUSCLE
Scroll down for a short video on this story.
Thousands of citizens took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles, California on Saturday, October 15, 2011 as the anti-greed Occupy Los Angeles movement gained momentum going into its third week. The march began in Pershing Square and passed through the financial district, culminating in a rally at City Hall Park, where hundreds of protestors have set up dozens of tents and established a long-term encampment.
Events of the day were part of a Global Day of Action against corporate greed, as the Occupy Wall Street movement extends its reach around the world. Events reportedly took place in over 1,000 cities, involving hundreds of thousands of people.
The Occupy Los Angeles site has exploded since its beginning on October 1. Whereas the first night there were around fifty campers, participants say the number of overnight protestors has mushroomed to around three hundred each night. This core group swells during the day, as hundreds more join for whatever time they are available.
Saturday’s march and rally were bolstered by labor and civil society groups – the AFL-CIO and Moveon.org mobilized thousands of members to turn out. Smaller local groups also had a notable presence, like Valley Grassroots for Democracy, which sent two dozen Democratic activists from the San Fernando Valley to take part. The Industrial Workers of the World also had a small contingent. These two examples were representative; both insiders and outsiders were on the march.
Students, workers, the unemployed, senior citizens, families with young children, artists, the homeless – a broad cross-section was present. Even so, the massive crowd appeared to have consensus on what seems the central theme of the Occupy Wall Street movement – that the overall political and economic system is rigged in favor of the ultra-wealthy, and unresponsive to the needs of “the ninety-nine percent.”
Following the march and protests in front of three downtown banks – Bank of America was singled out for the most raucous attention – the group filled the area in and around City Hall Park for speakers, musicians, civil society organizing, and various other activities which constitute the ongoing life of Occupy Los Angeles.
“We want to send a clear message to the one percent,” said Maria Elena Durazo, the Secretary-Treasurer of the LA County Federation of Labor. “Without the rest of us, they go down.”
The event – like the day-to-day encampment – had no clear ending, and people were free to stay as long as they liked – or as long as necessary, to bring broadly-shared justice to the political and economic system. Many protestors appear willing to make this an extended stay.
Watch the short video below for more on this story.
Tags: afl afl-cio bank of america California capitalism civil society corporate greed Durazo labor Los Angeles María Elena Durazo movement occupy occupy los angeles occupy wall street protest Students uprising workers
