Dougerhead and I dusted the Cheetos off our PJs and headed down to Occupy Rochester yesterday. It was a mix of anti-war protesters, who were generally older, anti-Wall Street protesters, who were generally younger, and some people like this guy who were definitely protesting something. Click on the picture above to see an album of the different signs and people we saw.
Also, too: This was the only drum circle I could find.
Maude
Excellent sign. That’s the point isn’t it?
beltane
Are there pictures of the two of you there? Were you wearing tie-dyes and Birkenstocks and drinking soy lattes?
RossInDetroit
Outdoors in the sun with dad and a big drum to bang on. Man, that’s livin’
Maude
@beltane:
Do you think they are in the drunk tank this morning?
RossInDetroit
I’m beginning to think that it really shouldn’t be necessary for Occupy protesters to have an agenda, demands or simple, clear goals. If the protesters are just visible and pissed off, other people will fill in the reasons from their own experience. Hosed by the mortgage company. Laid off in a downsizing. 401K diminished and languishing. Prices going up and wages staying flat. Everyone’s got something to be pissed about. The protests help them put the blame on Wall Street where it belongs.
beltane
@Maude: Maybe Dougerhead, but mistermix strikes me as one of those guys who can handle his liquor.
Omnes Omnibus
@beltane: I think the short dude with the heart shirt in the drum video might be Dougerhead.
Omnes Omnibus
@RossInDetroit: A Rorschach protest?
Maude
@beltane:
Okay, we give him the bail money.
RossInDetroit
@Omnes Omnibus:
Good analogy. Some people, of course, will just tell you it’s a senseless waste of ink.
Linda Featheringill
Nice signs. I enjoyed looking at them.
I suppose that in a hundred years this time will be referred to as The Awakening.
Ash Can
@RossInDetroit: Big corporations and Republican policies share much of the blame, if not more of it. Wall Street exists to move money, and the only way to fight Wall Street is to change how, and how much, money can be moved. To do that requires practical and/or legal action.
I’m wary of focusing too much attention on Wall Street. I’m afraid it steers too much attention away from big corporations and the GOP, and gives them cover.
Omnes Omnibus
@Ash Can: Look at it this way; you have to start somewhere.
slag
Good job, guys! More like this!
Poopyman
Was it anything like the #occupysesamestreet protests? Looks like things took a nasty turn there.
Jay in Oregon
“One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” –Proverbs 11:24
fourmorewars
Yeah, that guy’s ‘protesting something.’ It’s not some random angry phrase, though. Try it in Peter Finch’s voice.
Cat Lady
This is a good time to re-visit Teabonics.
Good times. And by good I mean bad.
Rick
Rochester too. Awesome. Let me know where the Rochester food donatios go, and I’ll have some garbage plates sent.
Jennyjinx
The question on everyone’s mind: Where are all the pictures of the birkenstocks? Everyone knows that the only people joining these so-call “protests” (aka lazy people doing nothing but making noise) are weed-smoking, birkenstock-wearing, patchouli-burning shower-adverse hippies. Why aren’t you reporting the truth? I guess that last chick could be wearing cold-weather birkenstocks. I don’t know if that qualifies as truly hippy, though.
/snark
Seriously, though, thanks for the photos.
Michael Bersin
I stopped by Occupy Kansas City.
“….What is the commonality? The, uh, the commonality is that whatever your view is, we feel that it’s not being heard in Washington….”
They’re planning a march from Penn Valley Park (across from the Federal Reserve Bank complex) to the J.C. Nichols fountain in the park at 47th and Main. There should be a good crowd.
jh46inaz
@fourmorewars
I also missed it (the sign quote), but then decided tonight to stream “Network” from Netflix, and suddenly Howard Beale shouts the words from that sign, so I had to come back here and point this out to everybody. That movie (from 1976) is about the same thing that is happening today. Go and watch it again (if you’re an old fart like me), or watch it for the first time if you’re young, but watch it!!!