Occupy Wall Street Won’t Stop Their Movement
It is now officially week three of the Occupy Wall Street protests taking place in the financial district of New York City, and events continue to be planned by protestors whose complaints range from gas prices to corporate greed.
On Monday, several events including a rally with DC 37, New York City’s largest municipal public employee union, is planned, in addition to a rally in support of locked out Sotheby’s workers.
How far are protestors taking their complaints? Tonight they’re going directly to the home steps of executives of the luxury art auction house. The Sotheby’s workers claim Sotheby’s management plans to destroy their retirement protections and replace them with temporary workers without benefits, and through Occupy Wall Street union members plan to speak out.
“Teamsters Local 814 is now planning a major rally and everyone is invited to join in! Meet them in front of the home of Sotheby’s biggest clients as well as some of their execs and board members (YES, many of them live in the same 5th avenue townhouse.WHAT A SHOCK!),” Occupy Wall Street’s website reads.
Other upcoming events include a march Wednesday with numerous unions and community groups. Some of the supporting groups include the United Federation of Teachers, Workers United and Transport Workers, the Strong Economy for All Coalition, the Working Families Party, New York Communities for Change, Community Voices Heard, and Alliance for Quality Education, all who claim that corporate America has treated them unfairly.
Since September 17, Occupy Wall Street, the group that started with fewer than a dozen college students spending days and nights in a park near the city’s financial center, has grown.
The protestors have gained the support of powerful labor unions with hundreds of thousands of members and millions of dollars supporting them. Additionally, protests mimicking those in New York are popping up in cities across the country including Boston; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Spokane, Washington; Washington D.C.; Providence, Rhode Island, and Los Angeles.
On Saturday, at least 700 protestors were arrested and no signs of giving up their campaign were showed on Monday. Organizers urged participants to dress up as corporate zombies to take part in a rally against police brutality. After they were in “zombie” attire, group spokesman Patrick Bruner urged protestors to eat Monopoly money to let financial workers "see us reflecting the metaphor of their actions."
"The country as a whole is not happy," Columbia University Political Science Professor Dorian Warren told ABC. "Eight out of 10 Americans are not satisfied with the direction of the country. So they're just expressing what people have been saying."
To view a complete list of the grassroots protests visit here.
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(Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)