'Occupy Wall Street' Protesters Respond to Weekend Violence and Arrests
Protesters angered by the economic problems strangling the United States have been taking a stand to rally against Wall Street and the impact that corporate America is having on lives and values in the country. This weekend those protests erupted in violence.
The protesters have camped out for two-weeks now against what they believe is an unfair financial system that unfairly benefits the mega-wealthy and corporations and hampers economic prospects for the poor.
This weekend witnessed the movement’s second weekend march against inequality and the march quickly turned violent and scores of people got arrested. The march took place between Zuccotti Park and Union Square.
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Police began making arrests when people from the march began to stray on to the street, blocking traffic.
Hero Vincent, 21, was one such protester that was arrested over the weekend. Vincent has been part of the protest since day one and explained how he came under attack.
Vincent explained that he went to get a drink and by the time he came back from the store he saw that the marching group had slowed down and scattered.
Vincent told The Christian Post, “From the second I got there, it was like a bomb had just went off, and papers were flying in the air, people where getting thrown around, screams, cries, people getting pepper sprayed.”
Vincent claimed that as he went to help out another protester police caught him and punched him in his face, kicked him in his stomach, hit him with a baton, and eventually arrested him.
Nevertheless, Vincent told the CP, “I don’t regret it, I would let it happen all over again because more supporters have been gathering as a result.”
He added that he prays that more people will get involved and help support the movement.
Another protester, Jim Costanzo, spoke to the CP of the movement and said, “It’s about privatization, it’s about corporations through Wall Street taking the common wealth of America for their own personal profits.”
Costanzo added, “What is happening now has been building for years and what we are talking about is privatization of the public sphere.”
An anonymous member of the protesting group spoke to CP about the weekend arrests and conflict with the police saying, “Those police tactics are the manifestation of what the federal reserve and wall street bankers are doing to all of us, they are beating us, they are chaining us in, and yet they are not being arrested and dragged through the streets, these peaceful kids are being arrested and dragged through the streets.”
The movement has gathered a wide array of supporters from former bankers to journalists and artists. The movement has no official leader and beyond this weekend, has been mainly a peaceful and quiet protest thus far.
