Post date: Oct 10, 2011 5:19:13 PM
Occupy Wall Street protesters camp out in New York for day 24 of the grass roots movement against corporate greed and economic inequality that is spreading through the country.
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 10,2011) REUTERS - Hundreds of protesters of the "Occupy Wall Street" movement were camping out in Zucotti Park in New York on Monday (October 10) for day 24 of the protests that now has expanded to the rest of the country with marches and camps taking shape from Tampa, Florida, to Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles to Philadelphia.
Protesters on inflated mattresses and sleeping bags were sleeping through the noise of the Monday morning rush hour traffic.While some of the early birds were preparing breakfast and coffee in the "kitchen", a row of tables with donated foods and drinks, others were picking up trash left by the protesters who haven't left Zucotti Park in days, some even in weeks.
Another small group gathered in a corner of the park to start the day with yoga.
Devon Thariaux, a New Jersey resident, was one of the first on Monday to pick up a protesting sign. He says that the camping experience so far has been good.
"I've been here 4 days," Thariaux told Reuters.
"The mood has been mostly peaceful. Of course there's going to be a couple bad people. If you have a thousand people, there's going to be a couple who aren't here for the cause, they are just to freeload and just to be here."
Since the start of the New York protests on September 17, the movement has attracted thousands of people and charities that are donating food, drinks and money. This has also attracted the local homeless and unemployed to the camping ground, who come out for the free food and clothing.
Brandan Hunt has joined the movement 14 days ago, and is on the security team. He says that after many days for some protesters the focus blur, but added that volunteers are trying hard to remind them of their causes.
Others see in the protests an opportunity to build a political movement.
"We have an opportunity to use the power that we have and get our foot in the government and make active changes. The Tea Party did it and we can do it," Bronx resident Kevin Devone told Reuters.
The protests targeting Wall Street and U.S. economic inequality spawned heated rhetoric among politicians.
Protests planned this week include demonstrations at the Mortgage Bankers Association meeting in Chicago and an anti-Columbus Day event in New York.