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Who are the voices behind the protests, movement to #OccupyWallStreet?
Protesters have been camping out at New York’s Zuccotti Park for more than two weeks.
What started as call to action by Adbusters, a Canadian anti-consumer organization, to protest greed and corruption in Manhattan's Financial District has grown into a catch-all movement of dissent and frustration with current norms.
Overheard on CNN.com: What do the protesters want?
Fueled by social media, the protests have persisted and have begun to attract mainstream attention. By now, the Occupy Wall Street event is attracting a lot of street musicians and tourists.
The atmosphere appears more festive than angry.
View a high-resolution gallery of the protests
Those assembled say there is no leadership, but there’s plenty of organization. Food continues to be donated, and protesters take shifts for things such as sanitation duty in which they sweep the park. There are no restrooms, but there are plenty of fast-food restaurants and coffee shops nearby for bathroom breaks.
“It’s the '60s without the drugs,” says Jennifer Jager, who lives near the park and has been watching and visiting the protesters.
“A lot of them who started it are younger than my son,” she says.
CNN’s Susanna Capelouto and Jonathan Binder spent an afternoon with the protesters and sent this audio postcard:
You can also listen to the CNN Radio Reports podcast on 
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to the podcast here.
This needs to spread to Washington!!!!!!!
Spread it yourself by voting. Otherwise no one is listening. Obama gave them bailouts and the Repubs want less regulation. Who do ya luv? We need to man-up as a nation and realize that too big to fail means they're holding us hostage. Eff 'em, let 'em fail and support those that didn't. I bought a house I could afford, pay my mortgage – never missed a payment. What did I get from the bailouts and washington? Nothing. Instead they rewarded the banks that failed and the idiots that bought ridiculous houses with ridiculous mortgages. We need to stop rewarding or at least supporting failure.
Capitol? Economists, Securities investigators, financial specialists and academia – none of them were able to understand the magnitude of fraud on Wall Street. The big sharks bought and sold, split and hid the funds so many times, that by the time of the financial collapse, it was almost impossible to track their fraud. Or so they thought …
This could be a really good thing if intelligent people spoke to the camera. All i hear is more socialism this more socialism that while not even getting to the real issues. Ending the federal reserve which is at the top of all the wall street shenanigans should be out there up front.. If you are going to spout BS to the camera discrediting the movement just shut up and hold your sign while the adults speak. I want a real platform not Woodstock on wall street.
I am amazed how the press seems to be all but ignoreing what is happening on wall street and how it is affecting others all over the country. What about all the support it is getting? What about the manifesto? What about all the groups that have pledged all their support? What the hell is wrong with you people? This event is huge and you seem to be giving Amanda Knox 30 minutes of air time and the people who have said they are tired of the 1% screwing us around almost nothing! But to the presses credit that pic of the naked women really got the male attendtion. What happened? Did fox news take over and tell you what is news worthy?
Agree with bille walters, 100%.
While throwing darts at the corporate/financial elite, how many of these same folks are ticked off at Lady Gaga, or upset at the salary of Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, or horrified at the millions being raked in by the cast of "Jersey Shore"? It's utterly hypocritical of these people who surely love reading J.K. Rowling or watching Angelina Jolie and Kristin Stewart to be so angry that a business executive does equally well. Let me get this straight...you're okay with Heidi Klum yachting off the cost of Greece or reading about Kim Kardashian's multi-million wedding, but if a bank exec drives a Porsche or has a private jet, he or she should be mobbed? And how many of those athletes and celebrities pay less than their fair share of taxes?? Just ask Willie Nelson. This whole thing is stupid. The only difference is people are willingly forking their money over for something that entertains them, as opposed to paying bank fees that nobody finds amusing. Tough luck folks...the system is what you've made it.
The demonstrations need to come to Kansas. The Koch Brothers have there headquarters here in Wichita. These billionaires have the congressmen, senators and governer on their payroll. They would like nothing more than to crush the middle class. Working people are less than farm animals, just someone to squeeze and exploit. They started the John Birch Society and bankroll any conservative group that toils for the benefit of corporations and against working people. Their greed is monumental. there are more of us than there are of them, they need to be shown this.
It needs to spread all over! I would like to see It spread to the newspapers.
After reading about these protests for the past few days, the following is clear to me:
People with no accountability or responsibilities are demanding accountability from those of us with responsibilities...
Please explain your baseless conclusion......how are 1000s of employed and unemployed, educated, old and young, Repub and Democrat protesting corruption showing irresponsibility??? It's irresponsible to take your kind of stance, which is do nothing
because the media is barely covering this...these are people trying to get wall street and govt to take responsibility but the media paints just as a clown show
Chinatown – I did take a stance: I put myself through college, worked hard, and made it to the top. Along the way, I was laid off twice, but got back on my feet and pushed even harder. Unlike these uninformed clowns, I don't expect handouts from people simply because they happen to be more talented than me.
If Wall Street is accountable and responsible, why did it need a government bailout?
Have to agree with Chinatown here Mark, you obviously couldnt possibly know all of these people so you have no base to make that statement. They arent asking for handouts, they are asking for reform of the corporations that have been ripping off the American public for far too ling. You are not the only one who put themselves through college, I am sure there are plenty of people at the protest who have done the same.
I would like SOME accountability from wall street for trashing the economy.
Taken from the top, these sentiments imply that the financial crisis was caused by fraud; that people who take big risks should be subject to a criminal investigation; that executives of large financial firms should be criminal suspects after a crash; that public revulsion indicates likely culpability; that it is inconceivable (to Madoff, anyway) that people could lose so much money absent a conspiracy; and that Wall Street bears collective guilt for which a large part of it should be incarcerated.
These assumptions do violence to our system of justice and hinder our understanding of the crisis. The claim that it was "caused by financial fraud" is debatable, but the weight of the evidence is strongly against it. The financial crisis was ACCOMPANIED by fraud, on the part of mortgage applicants as well as banks. It was caused, more nearly, by a speculative bubble in mortgages, in which bankers, applicants, investors, and regulators were all blind to risk. More broadly, the crash was the result of a tendency in our financial culture, especially after a period of buoyancy, to push leverage and risk-taking to the extreme.
Yes, our government is not quite right. So should we make it better or get rid of it? I'm going with the former. Democracy > Corporatism. If our government answered to the people, that would be so much better than having little or no government.
You're a very materialistic troll that clearly misses the forest through the trees. So good for you and your making it to the top, we all wish for such a chance in life.. ego much?? This is a protest for YOUR rights to keep your egotistical job, your fancy car (assuming, but I bet I'm dead on), your make believe friends, etc. Don't blink because it just might end up in China before you know it. Let our government continue on this path and you will be in the streets with or without the protesters. No matter the position, it's happening daily. Corporate America is crooked, deceitful, and a disgrace to every red penny paid in taxes. Our funds, YOUR funds, and other countries funds are misused ever minute of the day. These people are fighting for this to change. We are protesting Houston on Thursday in the same fashion to BE HEARD. I guess a voice aginst the like of yourself to put it clearly. It's the sheeple like yourself that create this environment and it will be the same people wishing they would of had the balls to stand up for what was once a great country. Now most are egomaniacs and materialistic such as yourself.
You're a very materialistic troll that clearly misses the forest through the trees. So good for you and your making it to the top, we all wish for such a chance in life.. ego much?? This is a protest for YOUR rights to keep your egotistical job, your fancy car (assuming, but I bet I'm dead on), your make believe friends, etc. Don't blink because it just might end up in China before you know it. Let our government continue on this path and you will be in the streets with or without the protesters. No matter the position, it's happening daily. Corporate America is crooked, deceitful, and a disgrace to every red penny paid in taxes. Our funds, YOUR funds, and other countries funds are misused ever minute of the day. These people are fighting for this to change. We are protesting Houston on Thursday in the same fashion to BE HEARD. I guess a voice against the like of yourself to put it clearly. It's the sheeple like yourself that create this environment and it will be the same people wishing they would of had the balls to stand up for what was once a great country. Now most are egomaniacs and materialistic such as yourself.
mark i guess you aren't paying attention, i'm part of these protests, i pay taxes, i make 80k/year, i own rental property, i donate 60hours a week to shelters, 20% of my income to charity, i'm seeing my free market taken away from me. we're the only free market left. if we don't demand accountability from the 1% of the population and corporations who control nearly all of our media and enterprise, if we don't save america it's going to all go away, i don't want this to be a 3rd world country. i want us to do what we've done historically. i want us to set an example, that the free market wins, because we currently do not have a free market, just the illusion of one. free trade destroys free market. nearly everything we buy is manufactured by countries that do not partake in free enterprise, therefore free trade needs to end. nice try tho mark, if you really think that then please do some reading. if you're trolling, again, nice try, failed attempt tho.
By the reply's I guess most are not of the same beliefs. Most if not all great movements that brought change started with a small group of determined people who said the thing that rang true. With the sound of liberality in a county founded on such great ideals and fallen into corporate hands were all the media and money is controlled by the top1% and a small band in between.
JP Morgan Chase donated 4.6 million to NYPD...Anyone else think there is something wrong with this picture?
http://www.ericallenbell.org/group/occupy-wall-street/forum/topics/j-p-morgan-chase-donates-4-6-million-to-nypd
Didn't we bail JPM out?
yes, this is why the police should not be looked at as enemies, it's DETRIMENTAL for people to be peaceful, once this gets big enough the police wil join with us, it's an inevitability. our economic system is not sustainable currently. once this is obvious to everyone there will be no choice but for the 99% to join against the 1% and this is their biggest nightmare. this is what has been whispered for decades in private memos between executives. they've been anticipating a revolt for 30 years. the police are part of us, whether they realize it or not. PEACEFUL opposition is a necessity so that it's clear we do not advocate violence. let chase give the police millions, big deal, it's a futile effort.
Only in CNN's bubble could these people be taken seriously and the Tea Party be labeled as "extreme."
ok troll
Yes CNN's bubble its a real place that only Jim knows about. Please come visit him as he stands outside CNN's bubble and cries.
So much corruption that goes on and large corporations think they can get away with it, it's absurd! Lobbyists should not exist within the government period!! Open your eyes people your'e being dumbed down by the media and the goverment!
I kind of feel bad for the parents of those idiots in the picture. To see you kid become a failure and lazy must be tough. Unless it runs in the family.
I love how CNN puts the most freakish looking picture they can find at the head of this say-nothing article.
We have announced our plans to take down the roodypoo candyass New York Stock Exchange website on October 10, 2011. FoxNews has the story.
I ran up 200k in student debt so I could drink beer with my friends for 5 years. Now nobody will give me a job starting at the top of the pay scale. Instead of considering an entry level position, working hard and moving up, I think I'll put on my Halloween costume early and go downtown. There must be someone else to blame! It must be the greedy rich that CNN is always talking about. Boo, greedy rich, boo! Oh, that's not "boo" like at a sporting event, it's because I'm wearing a casper the ghost costume to make my point about the greedy rich.
If someone would have told me last year that this kind of social awareness movement will happen in US, and none of our well-respected investigation journalists will report on it, I would have never believed it. Without reporting from home, their interest in social justice only for situations outside US, looks rather like an agenda of mingling in someone else's business than professional reporting.
How can a respected professional reporter find time and stamina to report about all kinds of serious injustice abroad, about the gay rights, about the need to fight the bullies (except the ones from Wall Street), even about how Gerard Depardieu peed on a plane, and keep quiet during this wave of social awakening in our own yard.
This could be a really good thing if intelligent people spoke to the camera. All i hear is more socialism this more socialism that while not even getting to the real issues. Ending the federal reserve which is at the top of all the wall street shenanigans should be out there up front.. If you are going to spout BS to the camera discrediting the movement just shut up and hold your sign while the adults speak. I want a real platform not Woodstock on wall street. Either way keep it up!
enough with the ugly zombie punks. TSOL suck and punk is dead.
It's funny and pathetic to read all these bashers saying the protestors want handouts...I haven't read that anywhere, they're protesting corruption...If you're upset with people receiving handouts, WHY DON'T YOU ASK THE WALL ST BANKERS WHY THEY RECEIVED THE BIGGEST TAXPAYER HAND OUT IN US HISTORY???
when are the riots??? that's all they want protesters don't protest to be peaceful sorry.
While throwing darts at the corporate/financial elite, how many of these same folks are ticked off at Lady Gaga, or upset at the salary of Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, or horrified at the millions being raked in by the cast of "Jersey Shore"? It's utterly hypocritical of these people who surely love reading J.K. Rowling or watching Angelina Jolie and Kristin Stewart to be so angry that a business executive does equally well. Let me get this straight...you're okay with Heidi Klum yachting off the cost of Greece or reading about Kim Kardashian's multi-million wedding, but if a bank exec drives a Porsche or has a private jet, he or she should be mobbed? And how many of those athletes and celebrities pay less than their fair share of taxes?? Just ask Willie Nelson. This whole thing is stupid. The only difference is people are willingly forking their money over for something that entertains them, as opposed to paying bank fees that nobody finds amusing. Tough luck folks...the system is what you've made it.
Just because you've given up and resigned yourself to a humdrum life ruled by corporate corruption doesn't mean others have to......
assuming a lot are we you know this about them and w ty ellt that some corporate entrancement to keep people from asking real questions wanting reasons for whats happened and is happening wit your county. Do you remember what the word democracy means were it comes from? Look into that and rethink for a minute and you might just join in the protests that really started in Wisconsin
Actually crones, i assumed nothing. Unfortunately, your grammar/spelling is so atrocious that I can't figure out what else you're trying to say. I'm a huge Ron Paul fan, and I dislike the current state of our nation as much as anyone, but people are so illogical that I feel the need to call B.S. on their thinking. Sure, get mad at Wall Street. So what. If you all actually pull your money out of banks, and pay off all your credit cards, mortgages, car loans, etc., then at least I'd respect what you're doing. i just think you're pointing all that frustration at the wrong group of folks.