USA: Anti-Wall Street protesters take to the streets on Columbus Day holiday

Record ID: 590959

  • Title: USA: Anti-Wall Street protesters take to the streets on Columbus Day holiday
  • Date: 11th October 2011
  • Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., , UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 10, 2011) (REUTERS) WIDE OF PROTESTERS WITH THE U.S. CAPITOL BUILDING IN THE BACKGROUND PROTESTERS SEATED, WITH UMBRELLA THAT SAYS "NO MORE WAR FUNDING" WIDE OF PROTESTERS MULLING AROUND FREEDOM PLAZA VARIOUS PROTESTERS AND SIGNS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MEDEA BENJAMIN, CO-FOUNDER OF CODE PINK, SAYING: "We are here to stay. We are here just like we were here yesterday and the day before yesterday and the day before that, it really doesn't matter to us that our permit has run out, we feel like this is a public square, we are the public and we are occupying this square so we will stay here." WIDE OF POSTERS AND SIGNS TENTS SET UP BY PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF TENTS AND PROTESTERS
  • Embargoed: 26th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Finance,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4HLM8YKU6CXIY57Y2ECUHETQA
  • Story Text: Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets throughout the United States on Monday (October 10) to protest Wall Street and U.S. economic inequality.
    The Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York last month with a few people has expanded to cities across the country including Boston, Columbus, Ohio and Washington, D.C.
    In Boston, large groups of protesters marched and waved signs. One student demonstrator said he was extremely angry about the tax breaks given to large companies like GE.
    "I'm extremely angry that Wall Street is taking over Main Street America. It's absolutely ridiculous that a company as large as GE pays no taxes. There are ninety-nine percent of us- people without healthcare, without jobs. This is ridiculous," the student said.
    In Columbus, one female protester said she was disappointed. "I am a veteran. I volunteered to protect the United States of America not the corporations of America. I have kids who have college degrees who should be starting a good life. They can't find jobs and they are in debt. This is wrong," she said.
    More than a hundred protesters gathered in downtown Washington, D.C. to demonstrate. Medea Benjamin the co-founder of Code Pink said she plans to protest until there is a change.
    "We are here to stay. We are here just like we were here yesterday and the day before yesterday and the day before that, it really doesn't matter to us that our permit has run out, we feel like this is a public square, we are the public and we are occupying this square so we will stay here," Benjamin said.
    The protests targeting Wall Street and U.S. economic inequality, have spawned heated rhetoric among politicians.
    Protests planned later on Monday include demonstrations at the Mortgage Bankers Association meeting in Chicago and an anti-Columbus Day event in New York.
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