Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street photos.

Today I rode to the Occupy Wall Street protest at Zuccotti Park. Just as I arrived, at around 2:20pm, a big crowd was leaving the park to go on a march circuit around the Financial District. I went along. The sound of Occupy Wall Street is the sound of drums. The beat is constant, while the chants vary:
“We! Are! The 99 Percent! (And so are you!)”
“Show me what democracy looks like!” – “This is what democracy looks like!”
“All day! All week! Occupy Wall Street!”
As the group marched, accompanied by grim police officers on foot and on scooters, one thing that struck me is peoples’ reactions as the march went by. There were the usual nonplussed tourists and weary suits on their lunch breaks, but I was surprised at how many onlookers grinned, clapped, shouted encouragements and even danced along. Office workers gawked and waved from their office windows. It was, in general, a much more positive reception to the disruption than I’d expected.

When we circled round back to the park, I got my first look at the epicenter. The park itself now feels like a small city. Hundreds of people are there, showing no intention of leaving. There’s a library, and food distribution. Young and old, hippies and professor types mingle and interact. There’s a sense of camaraderie and permanentness and purpose.

I don’t know what this movement will grow (or not grow) into, especially as we approach the colder months. But one thought stayed with me as I left the park: This thing is for real.

More photos from the march and the park after the jump.

I have a complete set of photos on Flickr.