After nearly three weeks of occupying Wall Street in New York City, it is clear that the protest movement is migrating from coast to coast.
It started in the Big Apple, but over the last few days people in cities across America have been taking to the streets, letting the nation’s elites know that they are fed up.More than a thousand people in Los Angeles chose to stand in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement at City Hall – the very visible center of government and power.“We don’t want a model that is creating more pain more suffering more corruption and now people are taking a stand,” said protester Rosita Wandella.“We are the 99,” said another protester. He and many other demonstrators are worried that the one percent, who control most of the nation’s wealth, have gained a stranglehold over the US government.“Alexander Hamilton referred to the people he was so afraid of as the great beast, and the great beast has awakened,” said Terry Hatter, a substitute teacher in the crowd.From the East Coast to the West Coast and a growing number of places in between, a collective anger is unifying people. In the Windy City, a group has been demonstrating outside of the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago for more than a week.In Boston, a tent city in the heart of the Financial District means occupiers can voice their discontent with corporate greed day and night. Despite dozens of arrests, demonstrators intend to show that democracy does not end at the ballot box.Families have also been marching in Denver and San Francisco demanding radical changeAccording to the Occupy Together website, protests are being organized in more than 100 cities.“The points that people are standing behind are worth a revolution,” said protester Kaitlin Weichsel. “I believe their time is up,” said Wandella. “I think that the world is recognizing that it doesn’t work,” she added. Despite mainstream media downplaying -even ridiculing the movement – supporters have faith the message will be understood.“You saw what happened in London. They tried to make it out of a bunch of people who were just bad apples. That’s humanity. Humanity has an angst about it. Something is wrong,” said protester Troy Casey.Already bruised by soaring unemployment, poverty and foreclosures, the middle class are now being told to tighten their belts, leading many Americans to finally find their voices“The crowds will be getting bigger,” said Hatter. “It looks like it is spreading throughout the country. They had the Arab spring and hopefully we have a US autumn,” Hatter added.