Occupy Protesters Camp Out in Various US Cities

Posted November 15th, 2011 at 3:50 pm (UTC-5)
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The Occupy Wall Street protest began in New York in September as a loosely organized movement against corporate greed, economic inequality and high unemployment. The protest movement quickly gained momentum and spread to other cities throughout the United States and in other countries as well.

Here is a look at just a few of the many sites that have sprung up in the U.S.:

DENVER, COLORADO

Police estimate that the protest has cost the city more than $360,000 for the first half of October, to fund police and other personnel to deal with the protesters and ensure public safety and health. Police say they have arrested more than 80 people since mid-October.

HONOLULU, HAWAII

Demonstrators have been camped out in the Pacific island state and protested the recent APEC summit. During a dinner for world leaders such as President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, Hawaiian musician Makana said he performed a ballad that included lyrics such as “The time has come for us to voice our rage,” and “We are the many, you are the few.” He wore a jacket over a shirt that said “Occupy With Aloha.”

LOS ANGELES & OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

Hundreds of protesters are camped outside Los Angeles City Hall, complaining that the top 1 percent of the population is getting the income gains and the other 99 percent has been left out. In the city of Oakland, police on Monday cleared out demonstrators who had set up camp at the City Hall plaza, and arrested more than 30 people. Mayor Jean Quan issued a statement saying the effort took place “smoothly and peacefully.” She said that there was repeated violence, as well as a murder, at the encampment. Quan said the encampment has been a tremendous drain on the city. Earlier in the month, police used tear gas when a number of protesters temporarily shut down the Port of Oakland, one of the busiest seaports in the United States.

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Police cleared Zuccotti Park of protesters in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the area was cleared for cleaning and because the proliferation of tents and sleeping bags created a fire hazard. He said the protesters will be allowed to return to the downtown park where they had camped out for the past two months.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

Protesters began camping out in early October. On Sunday, Mayor Michael Nutter said the city is reviewing its relationship with the demonstrators, saying the movement has “changed” and there are serious health and safety issues related to the encampments. Some protesters held a news conference Monday to reject that characterization.

PORTLAND, OREGON

Police on Sunday cleared protesters from a central park, but the demonstrators are vowing to continue their protests elsewhere in the city. They initially defied a midnight deadline to leave the park, where hundreds of them had camped since October. Thousands of supporters of the movement gathered Saturday night to help stop the police eviction.

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Last month, police cleared a park, ordering dozens of protesters to dismantle a tent city they established in mid-October and arresting several activists who refused.

WASHINGTON D.C.

Protestors have been camped out in a park near the White House since early October and have taken part in marches in the nation's capital.