"Occupy Wall Street" is Coming to New Jersey

The "Occupy Wall Street" protest movement that began in New York City has crossed the river into New Jersey.  On Thursday, demonstrations were held in Jersey City and Trenton, and on Monday, October 10, a vigil will take place in Little Falls.

The stated mission of the movement is to protest what it describes as the economic downfall of the American people as a result of corporate greed and corruption. 

According to the Occupy Wall Street website, "Occupy Wall Street is a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%."

BluewaveNJ, a Montclair-based progressive organization, has endorsed the movement.  It is calling for supporters to attend the vigil in Little Falls, which is scheduled for Monday from 6:00 - 7:00 pm at the Little Falls Municipal Building, 225 Main Street.

"BluewaveNJ enthusiastically supports the growing movement labeled Occupy Wall Street and its opposition to corporate control of our government, our economy and our lives," states a poster advertising the event.  "If our government is going to be for the people and by the people rather than the corporate elite, we need real campaign finance reform and a fairer tax system. This can’t happen without all of us demanding change, starting in the streets!"

Occupy Wall Street has been growing steadily since it began in New York in September.  In one month it has spawned movements throughout the US, in major cities like Chicago, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, as well as small towns like Fargo, North Dakota and Allentown, Pennsylvania. 

Though the small town demonstrations have so far been sparsely attended and peaceful, police in the New York metro area, responding to a month of large-scale, sometimes dramatic demonstrations, came in full force to Jersey City on Thursday.  NJ.com reported that the massive police presence included reinforcements from five law enforcement agencies.  In fact, only around 50 protestors turned up.

The Trenton demonstration was also small, drawing only "a couple dozen" protestors.  Nonetheless, some lawmakers are taking note of the burgeoning movement.

House GOP Majority Leader Eric Cantor said in a speech at the Values Voters Summit in Washington that he is "increasingly concerned" about the "growing mobs" at the protests, while Politico.com reported that House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi backed the demonstrations, saying, "It’s young, it’s spontaneous, it’s focused and it’s going to be effective.” 

The movement has also attracted support from organized labor and the sympathies of President Obama, who said Thursday that he understood the frustration of the protesters.

On its website, a confident message from Occupy Wall Street states, "#ows is growing. We will be in a thousand cities in this country by the end of the month - hundreds of cities in other countries. We will see General Assemblies on six continents.

We are growing. Block by block – city by city. We will see change in this country, in this world. It will happen sooner than you can imagine."

An Occupy Wall Street "General Assembly" will convene in Washington Square Park today at 3:00.

.

Related Topics: Occupy Wall Street