Thousands of protesters marched throughout Manhattan Thursday morning as part of a nationwide day of action, the first major response by the two-month-old Occupy movement after police cleared out the encampment in Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park.
Protesters in New York marched to Wall Street Tuesday Morning to attempt to blockade the New York Stock Exchange, leading to a number of arrests and police violence, which included two journalists from the conservative Daily Caller being hit by police batons.
The movement, which began on Sept. 17 in New York City, has quickly spread around the country. While the movement has no official organization or list of demands, Occupy’s central message is that the nation’s political and economic structure benefits the ultra-wealthy at the expense of the rest of the country (the so-called 99%).
The video above, produced by Wired’s Mark Riffee, shows the New York Police Department out in force on Thursday morning to foil the #OWS plan to shut down the New York Stock Exchange before the opening bell. Dozens of protesters were arrested as they tried to reach the barricaded NYSE building.
An estimated 10,000 protesters gathered in the early evening for a rally at Foley Square. The protesters are then expected to attempt to cross the Brooklyn Bridge.