In case you missed the news, the Occupy Wall Street protesters who set out to walk all the way to Washington D.C. arrived on Tuesday. Their estimated 240 mile march from Zuccotti Park timed to coincide with the Congressional deadline on whether to keep President Obama's extension of tax cuts under President Bush. Setting out on Wednesday, November 9th, they lost some bodies along to the way to minor foot injuries, and one demonstrator's decision to return to defend Liberty Square, but otherwsie walked into Washington with more than twice the number of protesters they set out with.
Elizabeth Flock journeyed with the group providing this photo essay story. In the picture below, school children cheer the demonstrators from Liberty Bell Center as they detoured through Philadelphia PA in order to march past Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated and adopted.
Courtesy of the Washington Post
Photographer: Ricky Carioti
Philadelphia School Children Cheer Occupy Wall Street
Protesters From Liberty Center
Courtesy of Washington Post
Photographer: Ricky Carioti
Occupy Wall Street marches past Independence Hall in Philadelphia
where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution
were debated and adopted.
Occupy Wall Street gave the marchers 3,000. dollars for the journey, but they barely used the funds, as so many people and organizations helped them along the way. Motorists honked in support, stopped to give them food, hugs, invitations, and sometimes crying in gratitude - and individuals, community centers, and churches provided sleeping and shower facilities.
Lyudmila Tsubiks with Kansas City Infozine describes a group of 50 arriving in Washington to a warm and enthusiastic welcome after crossing parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Activists planned the route via internet, highway, major cities, and occupation camps.
Occupy DC activists met the group shortly before their arrival in Washington D.C. and marched with them into the city to McPherson Square, 2 blocks from the White House, and where their encampment is located. Their arrival also closely coincided with the Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO's 28th biannual convention on Saturday, approving a resolution that members treat Occupy encampments in the District and Baltimore as they would a formal picket line.
The resolution states the AFL-CIO will support any “unionized or non-unionized worker who refuses to break up, raid or confiscate the belongings of protesters.”
It also calls “on unions representing public workers and public safety workers to not participate in such activity as to deny the rights of occupiers.”
“Protest movements, like strike lines and organizing campaigns do not have curfews and are not 9 to 5 activities,” the resolution states. “And in doing so, we recognize and will work to protect the right for occupiers to protest 24 hours a day, on-site, with proper protection, including food, medical supplies, water and tents.”
The statement gets at the heart of the free speech issue and why the tents can stay up 24/7.
Demonstraters said that 99 percent of the people they met along the way were supportive, and that they also viewed a great deal of homelessness and many empty, destroyed buildings.
The occupiers disagree with President Obama's decision to extend tax cuts through the end of this year, and say that the tax cuts only benefit the richest 1%.
Courtesy of Washington Post
Photographer: Elizabeth Flock
OWS Group Before Setting Out On 300 Mile trip to Washington D.C.
By the time they arrived, their group had lost a few, but doubled in size.
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