NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands of anti-Wall Street protesters rallied in New York City's Times Square Saturday, buoyed by a global day of demonstrations in support of their monthlong campaign against corporate greed.
Inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement, protests Saturday started in Asia and rippled through Europe back to the United States and Canada. Protesters fed up with economic inequality took to the streets in cities from Washington, Boston and Chicago to Los Angeles, Miami and Toronto.
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After weeks of intense media coverage, the size of the U.S. protests Saturday have been smaller than G20 meetings or political conventions have yielded in recent years. Such events often draw tens of thousands of demonstrators.
In New York, where the movement began when protesters set up camp in a Lower Manhattan park on Sept. 17, organizers said the protest grew to at least 5,000 people as they marched to Times Square from their makeshift outdoor headquarters.
"These protests are already making a difference,'' said Jordan Smith, 25, a former substance abuse counselor from San Francisco, who joined the New York protest. "The dialogue is now happening all over the world."
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 15: Demonstrators associated with the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement protest in Times Square on October 15, 2011 in New York City. Thousands of people are taking to the streets in cities across the world today in demonstrations inspired by the 'Occupy Wall Street' protests against the global financial system that began here in New York. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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The protesters chanted, "We got sold out, banks got bailed out" and "All day, all week, occupy Wall Street." They arrived in Times Square at a time when the area is already crowded with tourists and Broadway theatergoers.
"This is disgusting" said Anatoly Lapushner, who was shopping with his family at Toys R Us in Times Square. "Why aren't they marching on Washington and the politicians. Instead they go after the economic lifeblood of the city."
BAILOUT FURY
Another five thousand people marched through the streets of Los Angeles and gathered peacefully outside City Hall.
New York police said 24 people were arrested at a Citibank branch in Manhattan's Greenwich Village neighborhood, mostly for trespassing. Protesters said those arrested were trying to close their accounts. A Reuters reporters saw another five people arrested as the protest neared Times Square.
Citibank was not immediately available for comment.
The Occupy Wall Street movement has been gathering steam over the past month, culminating with Saturday's action. The protests worldwide were mostly peaceful apart from Rome, where the demonstration sparked riots.
But it was unclear whether the movement, which has been driven using social media, would sustain momentum beyond Saturday. Critics have accused the group of not having a clear message about what they want to achieve.
The protesters say they are upset that the billions of dollars in bank bailouts doled out during the recession allowed banks to resume earning huge profits while average Americans have had no relief from high unemployment and job insecurity.
They also believe the richest 1 percent of Americans do not pay their fair share in taxes.
In Toronto, a couple of thousand people gathered peacefully and started to set up a camp in one of the city's parks, while in Washington D.C. protesters marched through the streets.
"I am going to start my life as an adult in debt and that's not fair,'' student Nathaniel Brown told Reuters Television. ''Millions of teenagers across the country are going to start their futures in debt, while all of these corporations are getting money fed all the time and none of us can get any.'' (Additional reporting by Cameron French in Toronto, Pascal Fletcher in Miami, Ian Simpson in Washington D.C., Karl Plume in Chicago, Jim Finkle in Boston and R.T. Watson in Los Angeles, writing by Michelle Nichols, editing by Todd Eastham)
Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.
Latest updates on HuffPost's live blog: Times SquarePhoto by John de Guzman, via Think Progress.
The New York Daily News reports that 71 have been arrested in Times Square.
Dancing In Washington Square ParkHuffPost's Craig Kanalley arrived in Washington Square Park where people are dancing. A General Assembly meeting will be held in the park at 10 pm.
"The whole world is watching," people chant at 46th street. Police have surrounded a small group of protesters.
Corporate Messages And #OWS SignsMother Jones' Josh Harkinson is on Times Square and tweets on the ironic juxtaposition of #OWS signs and corporate messages.
| @ JoshHarkinson : Corp. media messages in Times Square right now: Tough Love Miami (sitcom); Where there's Pepsi there's music; Dunking Donuts; JVC; NASDAQ... |
| @ JoshHarkinson : #OWS msgs @ Times Sq.: No money, no probs; Working Class Heroine; Occupy Change; Stop the Political Gridlock!; We Are Here; Who is My Gov't? |
People in Times Square are reportedly told to leave the square or face arrest.
A.P. made this photo earlier this evening:
HuffPost's Melissa Jeltsen wrote about half an hour ago from Times Square:
"Crowd is growing in Times Square. Lots of cops at 44th and Broadway. Sound of drums, people chanting, 'show me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like.' Big media presence. There are people of all ages here -- young children on parents' shoulders, as well as elderly protesters. The ABC banner keeps showing 'Occupy Wall Street movement goes worldwide,' much to people's delight. No violence or altercations with police that I can see. One person tried to start a chant, "we're not cattle, let's do battle," and another protester said no -- no battles. The chant was discontinued."
Stunning Photos From Times SquareStunning photos from the demonstrations today on Times Square on HuffPost New York.
Reuters reports:
The protesters chanted, "We got sold out, banks got bailed out" and "All day, all week, occupy Wall Street." They arrived in Times Square at a time when the area is already crowded with tourists and Broadway theatergoers.Exit On 46th Street
Police tell protesters to exit Times Square eastbound on 46th street. Times Square is slowly clearing out.
Protesters are holding a General Assembly meeting later tonight in Washington Square Park.
"The People, United""The people, united, wil never be defeated," people chant at Times Square. "The way this is set up at Times Square, those stuck between barricades who may want to leave going to have huge difficulties," HuffPost's Craig Kanalley tweets.
Estimated 10,000-20,000 On Times SquareHuffPost's Melissa Jeltsen tweets from Times Square. It is estimated that between 10,000 and 20,000 people are gathered on Times Square.
| @ quasimado : Mass exodus down 44th street. Can hear sirens and cheering. Hearing there were arrests at 46th and a police horse went down. #ows |
HuffPost's Tyler Kingkade writes:
About 40 minutes ago it seemed like something might happen. Police officers got zip-cuffs and riot geer ready. They have shut the street down to traffic now but are still keeping people barricaded in. Fewer tourists are around now. They were struggling to make it through. Cops circled around a group that was sitting -- they also wreaked of pot. Officers started kicking people off construction rafters and police stormed through the crowd. The crowd now yells to get people down if they climb. Several people were arrested. But it's been quiet for 15 minutes, at least.
Problem: everyone is fenced in, nowhere to go. There is no one calling for this to move to a new location.
Reports Of NYPD Punching ProtestersA journalist at Times Square writes:
Around The NationA rally in downtown Pittsburgh drew thousands, Sewickley Patch reports. An article at FoxPoint Patch pegs the attendance in Milwaukee at 1,500. And in Connecticut, protesters have turned out in Hartford.
Live Video From Times SquareCheck out streaming video of protesters occupying Times Square. Another feed is below:
Photo From Times SquareOccupy Wall Street Protesters arrive at Times Square:
Prospect Heights (N.Y.) Patch reports:
Occupy Wall Street came to Prospect Heights today with dozens gathering at Grand Army Plaza to help foster a movement in their own borough.?It?s just time to bring the message to more people?we need to start expanding,? said Brian Merchant, a 28-year-old freelance journalist who was one of about 75 people who showed up to a ?general assembly? Thursday night to help organize the Occupy Brooklyn movement.
Kenneth Barrett of Prospect Lefferts Gardens came to today's protest with his wife, Carman, and two children, Kai, 4, and Gabriel, 2.
?I?m concerned about mass unemployment and this austerity that doesn?t seem to apply to investment banks,? he said.
Full story here.
Anticipation At Times Square| @ quasimado : People chanting 'we are the 99 percent' at times sq. March has not arrived yet. Confused tourists. #occupywallstreet |
Iowa City Patch reports:
Iowa Citians of all stripes marched from their occupation site in College Green Park to the business district in downtown Iowa City today, where they held a rally.The march and gathering were held to raise awareness of the growing Occupy Wall Street movement both locally and world wide. Protestors had various grievances related directly or indirectly to complaints against the banking industry.
For pictures from the protests, click here.
Long Island Man Explains Why He's Protesting:Port Washington (N.Y.) Patch reports:
For Sam LeDily, participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement is one way to make change happen.The Port Washington resident has been spending many evenings in the Lower Manhattan park where thousands of people have gathered to protest economic conditions. LeDily, 23, cooks many days and then returns home to work with his mother, Laraine, in their shop, Vintage Port.
?I?ve seen too many hardworking families struggling just to make it,? he said.
See the full story here.
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