#OccupyLA: The Wall Street Spring?

Dozens of people are camping out on the lawn of the Los Angeles City Hall, and have been since Saturday, hoping to make an impact in the movement now known as Occupy Wall Street (#occupywallstreet). Though several thousand miles away from the hub, LA protesters are committed to the same cause as their fellow citizens in New York: to protest the state of the economy, particularly the corporate banks and other federal institutions and heads who make up the “1%” of the populace, yet own and control most of the country’s finances. “We have lost our democracy,” I overheard one woman tell Japanese reporters. “There’s no reason why these oil companies have so much power. 99% of us are not included.” 

 The LA crowd (#occupyLA) is small for one that claims to represent 99% of the American population, but it’s understandable because the only media representatives in sight are either Asian or freelancers like myself. Although ABC and NBC vans lined the curbs of the Los Angeles City Hall Monday, the staff was actually across the street for the Michael Jackson doctor manslaughter trial. Yet even as the day wore on, the protest numbers were growing.

You can tell it’s been a few days now, that they’ve been here: the smell of unwashed bodies and sweaty shirts mingles with peanut butter and nicotine and the Port-a-John trailer (which to be fair is still fairly clean). Hand-lettered signs and placards line the ground--many more than are actually hands present to hold them--available for any passerby who cares to join the fray; there are also cardboard and sharpie stations for you to make your own. There are food tables and information tables, a supplies fort to which people are encouraged to donate essentials such as water and toilet paper, a daily camp schedule, and even a library, full of appropriate materials such as “The Capitalist System,” “Afflicted Powers,” and “Of Mice and Men.” People are friendly here: a few random guitarists and visionaries are eager to strum and speak, a drum circle kicked off for a while, and naps and dogs abounded during the sunny afternoon.

 

But it’s always interesting at events like these to see the philosophies and backgrounds that have inspired different people to join a movement. One of my fellow freelancers is a gentleman from Gonzo News (“Have you heard of Hunter S. Thompson?” he asked me. I assured him I was a fan) who is convinced that America should (and eventually will) revert to the barter system. "I just came from Burning Man

Right. If only Eve hadn’t eaten that apple…

 

Another girl I met has no job and is not a student, but has far-reaching ideals. "I just want everyone to have a voice," she tells me, passionately. Props for wanting to be intelligent and deep--now grab a book from the #occupied library and pull up some grass.

Then, of course, there are those exasperating folks trying to take advantage of #occupyLA for their own supposedly relevant sub-causes. Take the determined young, cute guy on the bridge who stood vigil with his giant sign: “YOU CAN’T BUY THE EARTH.” A wonderful sentiment, to be sure, but when I asked him why he was #occupyingLA he said we needed to protect the environment and that the “1%” need to know that. 

Hmm, first things first, Son. You can kill two birds with one stone but not any combination of bulls and bears.

Despite the differences, however, nearly everyone at #occupyLA does have one thing in common: most are ready to talk and be photographed. As I interviewed a group, they eagerly jumped in and spoke out, not allowing the interview to fall stagnant (or give me an out). Then came the call to the start the protest parade, but one boy in my circle hadn’t had his turn yet. “Will you be around here later?” he asked, grabbing his sign. “Yeah,” I said, and he started walking. “OK,” he threw back, in a rush, “I wanna talk but I’ll catch ya later. I gotta march!”