Nearly 400 people gathered at New Haven
Green at noon Oct. 15 to participate in a march to kick off Occupy
New Haven.
Activists from around the state joined
in solidarity with the movement and demanded an end to corporate
greed. They chanted, “We are the 99 percent and so are YOU!” and
“How do you fix the deficit? Stop the wars and tax the rich.”
Following the march, the protesters met on the upper green in a
general assembly and small rally, where they shared their plan for the day and
coming days. Liaisons from each working committee discussed their progress and next
steps. One of the speakers addressed the crowd: “This movement is about a bunch of
people who desire a change and together we will make a revolution!”
The movement is organized and has a
distribution of labor by committees, including the formation of the
following: Occupancy, Outreach, Media, Medical, Food, Comfort,
Action, Legal, Micro-Enterprise and Education. Liaisons from each
committee are welcomed to the general assembly to discuss any updates
and proposals.
In Hartford, Conn., the Occupy movement
started with a march through downtown at rush hour on Oct 8. The
following week, city and police officials tried to force the
demonstrators to remove their tents overnight, but through public
pressure and an emergency rally of 80 people on Oct. 11, the city was
forced to relent and coordinate with the organizers.
On Oct 16, 150 people marched from
Hartford City Hall to the Connecticut state capitol building. Rallies
started and ended the march at both locations, with speakers
addressing topics from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to police
brutality and the war on poor people at home. The march was supported
by Occupy Hartford. After the second rally at the state capitol, the
march was invited to a potluck and continued on to Occupy Hartford at
Turning Point Park.
