The Occupy Wall Street protest arrived in Portland Oct. 6, as 10,000 demonstrators filled Pioneer Courthouse Square elbow-to-elbow to protest Wall Street dominance of politics and the economy. The action, known as Occupy Portland, is one of many around the country inspired by a 24-hour-a-day protest and encampment that began Sept. 17 in Zucotti Park near Wall Street.
Protesters gathered at noon at Waterfront Park, and marched through downtown, stopping at the square before marching again to Lownsdale and Chapman parks, where an overnight encampment was set up.
Though they expressed it in different ways, protesters’ message is clear: Wall Street is making life worse for the 99 percent of Americans who aren’t part of the economic elite. Many unionists have been making that point since the 2008 financial crash and been largely ignored, but larger numbers, and the ongoing nature of the “occupation” is making it impossible to ignore.
Local 483’s Executive Board has issued a statement of support for Occupy Portland, and a committee from the union brought provisions to the occupiers.
Several other labor organizations took part in Day One of the protest, including contingents from International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, and the Oregon AFL-CIO.
[More images from Day One of the protest here.]
It’s about time people got out to protest the theives on Wall Street, but, it doesn’t end with just them, the political parties, as well as politicians(republican and democrats)are much to blame as well. They’ve highjacked the people’s government and the people need to get it back, these protest’s cannot, must not stop until we the people have regained our form of government.
[…] Portland, the Occupy Wall Street movement arrived Oct. 6. Protesters gathered at noon at Waterfront Park, and marched through downtown chanting, “Banks […]
I AM A FORMER PORTLANDER, BORN AND RAISED, NOW LIVING IN COSTA RICA, AND I AM IN FULL ACCORD WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT. I HOPE THAT THE DEFENDERS OF THE STATUS QUO, THE COPS, DO NOT CAUSE YOU PEOPLE TO CAVE IN. THIS WHOLE GRASS ROOTS, AS OPPOSED TO ASTROTURF, MOVEMENT MUST CONTINUE AND FIND WAYS TO BECOME A PERMANENT FORCE FOR THE REDRESS OF OUR GRIEVANCES. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL.