Occupy Wall Street Occupies Times Square; Global Protests in Solidarity
Starting at the foot of the statue of George M. Cohan at Times Square 15,000 to 20,000 onlookers, Times' Square regulars, tourists, curiosity seekers, middle class empathizers, press, union members and seasoned Occupy Wall Street protesters, elated from their stand off at Zuccotti Park, fanned out from 46th street down to 42nd street predominately remaining within metal police cordons. It was a show better than any Broadway could offer day or night because it was real, live and interactive. What went down was history and even George M. Cohan couldn't have produced it with more vibrancy, color, excitement or truth. But then he didn't have social media or cell phones.
No matter. Cohan was too much of a Diva. This movement is leaderless; it is organic, free ranging and flexible. The opposite of control freaks' need for tyranny or fascism. And that is its beauty. There may be a core group, but all who meet up for the general assembly decide, plan and strategize in an attempt to live up to one of Occupy Wall Street's iconic chants, "Show you what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like."
How did they bring their production to Broadway and Times Square? They had taken to the streets in an earlier march from downtown to Washington Square Park in the heart of Greenwich Village. As activists made speeches and rallied the crowd for the walk uptown which was scheduled for 5:00 PM, word of the global response to their efforts sparked the march to be moved to 3:00 PM.
In cities around the world there were 950 protests in 80 countries from individuals who feel that they must stand up against the rule of elites who govern by fiat and not by the will of the people whom they deem invisible and useless.
In London about 1,000 demonstrators congregated outside St. Paul's Cathedral hoping to occupy the London Stock Exchange. They were prevented by police who had closed off the area. On the steps of St. Paul's, Julian Assange (Wikileaks founder) spoke to the crowd.
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