99% vs. 1% — The Latest on Occupy Wall St. Movement: 853 Cities Across the World Shoring Up for the Long Haul

It’s Day 21 of Occupy Wall St. (#OWS), a movement that has inspired Americans all over the country to fight Wall St.’s assault on their political and economic rights. Wednesday, in the biggest action yet, over 20,000 people marched in Lower Manhattan. Occupations have sprung in hundreds of cities all over the country. Occupy Wall Street is only getting bigger. 

AlterNet has the latest updates — check back for continuing coverage.

- Saturday, October 8

-7:30 PM, New York City After what must have been thousands marched from a general assembly in Washington Square Park to Liberty Plaza, a huge mass of people are congregating in the park and gearing up for the general assembly about to begin here.  Today,  local New Yorkers and visitors alike have decided not just to support the movement, but to participate in general assemblies and the group’s decision making as well.

Families (including children) have been showing their support in steadily increasing numbers. The park, once quiet at night, has become a mass congregation, drum group, dance party, and safe space for direct democracy.  Navigating through the packed square is difficult. There is music, media, and, as usual, the NYPD put on quite the production, escorting the marchers with motorcycles, dozens of officers in single file lines, helicopters, and vans a plenty.

Adding irony to this march was the route.  As protestors waltzed through Soho, shoppers and tourists chanted “We are the 99%” and “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!”  Hundreds of observers caught the action on their camera phones.  Residents peered out their windows, filming or watching in awe.

-4:30 PM, New York City The “special session” general assembly in Washington Square Park  convened after a quick set by the punk band Anti-Flag and as NYPD helicopters hovered above.  Hundreds gathered in the park where Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix once congregated as the anti-war movement raged in New York City.  The assembly attracted hoards of people, many of whom marched from the movement’s mecca, Liberty Plaza, to Washington Square Park.  No one seems to have been arrested, at least not in numbers as significant as previous un-permitted marches.

To start the assembly, the speaker’s voice, amplified in waves through the crowd, explained the various hand signals used to communicate emotion and opinion without disrupting the microphone.  Wiggling fingers with hands straight up in the air means “I like it.  I’m feeling good” and can be used instead of clapping.  Fingers out straight in front of the body mean “I’m on the fence” and fingers straight down communicate “I don’t like it.”

After explaining the basics, speakers from various working groups – labor, information, media, comfort, call to action, coaching, direct action, arts and culture (and that’s not even all of them!) –  explained their groups’ function and encouraged those interested to join at upcoming meetings, most of which are held daily.

Then, in the most inspirational moment of the meeting, “Muhammad,”  a speaker from Egypt, encouraged demonstrators to keep up the fight:

My name is Muhammad.  I am an Arabic citizen from Egypt.  I am coming from the Arab Spring, from Tahrir Square to Washington Square, to support Occupy Wall Street.

He continued,

Many things separate us – national orders, homeland insecurity, armies, and police. They have the laws, they have the nets, and we have our revolution.

They handcuff our hands, but they will never cuff our ideas and revolutionary souls.  They will never cuff our own revolution.  We have nothing to lose except our change.  Long live the revolution!

The crowd cheered. Another Occupy Wall St. speaker took the microphone.  She said,

The future of this movement lies in our commitment to create the world we want to live in –  a world where people are not commodities…a world with mutual aid and solidarity, a world with self determination and direct democracy within our communities, a world where foreclosed homes, empty buildings, schools, and parks are occupied by the people.

She went on,

Start general assemblies in your communities and occupy your own spaces.  Act now.  But remember to have patience in this process and with each other.  We are all in this together.  Occupy everything!

After a few more words expressing the facilitators’ thanks for growing support and encouraging people to get to know each other, the crowd dispersed and supporters, new and old, wandered through the park, stopped at informational booths, and socialized. Another general assembly will be held at 7pm in Liberty Plaza.

11:40 AM The Atlantic has published 44 beautiful photographs of the protests from NYC to NOLA, driving home how much of a national movement this has become. And it’s only spreading; read below for updates on new cities joining the cause; two African American men from Queens have started Occupy the Hood, a movement to diversify OWS; and Occupy DC has settled in at Freedom Plaza, video below.

​Thousands of San Diegans joined the grassroots movement called Occupy Together on Friday. Described as: "Gigantic Protest" [Local News Video](sandiego6.com)

submitted 8 hours ago by go1dfish

Photo Gallery

Los Angeles

Danny Glover & Sojourner Truth join#OccupyLA LIVE NOW at @OccupyLAhttp://yfrog.com/hs2a5ocjPJDoe October 8, 2011 at 16:29

Boston

Arms linked.http://yfrog.com/h8g68gawjOccupy_Boston October 8, 2011 at 

Vancouver , British Columbia

http://yfrog.com/kjifrgrj Vancouver General Assembly Photographs!OccupyVancouver October 8, 2011 at 

New York

#EgyAbroad in WashSqPark. :)#right2vote #Tahrir #NYC@SalmaNella92 @EgyptEagle@missmayse @Abuomakhttp://yfrog.com/h6zz1nxj

New York

Videotaping the NYPD videotaping us. I want to see that movie! #OWShttp://twitpic.com/6x9ybhMMFlint October 8, 2011 at 17:41

Denver