Hundreds of 'Occupy Wall Street' protesters marched through New York's financial district toward the stock exchange today to protest economic inequality at the heart of American capitalism.
Scores of police barricaded the narrow streets around the stock exchange and used batons to push the protesters onto the sidewalk as they marched from a nearby park in a bid to prevent financial workers from getting to their desks.
"I feel like this is a beautiful moment to take back our streets," said Rachel Falcone (27), from Brooklyn. "We need to prove we can exist anywhere. It's gone beyond a single neighborhood, it's really an idea."
The protesters broke off into groups and tried to enter Wall Street from various points.
Police said about 50 people had been arrested at various locations in the financial district, mainly for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Most rallies by the two-month-old movement in New York have been attended by hundreds of people, but a spokesman for the protesters and city officials said yesterday that they expected tens of thousands to turn out for the day of action.
Protesters were planning to take their protest to 16 subway hubs later today, then return to City Hall for a rally before marching across the Brooklyn Bridge. Last month, more than 700 people were arrested during a similar march across the bridge after some protesters blocked traffic.
Taxi driver Mike Tupea, a Romanian immigrant, said his car had been stuck amid the protesters for 40 minutes. "I have to make a living. I pay $100 for 12 hours for this cab. I am losing money every minute,'" he said. "I have all my sympathies for this movement but let me do my living, let working people make a living."
The demonstration comes two days after police evicted hundreds of protesters from their camp at Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan, where the 'Occupy' movement was born on September 17th and sparked solidarity rallies and occupations of public spaces across the United States. The movement has also re-energised similar movements elsewhere in the world, including Dublin, Cork and Waterford.
Peter Cohen (47), an anthropologist from New York, wore a suit for the protest in a bid to improve the movement's image. "I have a job and (the suit) on because I'm tired of the way this movement has been characterized as a fringe movement," said Mr Cohen. "I'm not looking for money, I'm not looking for a job, I'm not a professional activist, just a normal citizen."
Protesters say they are upset that billions of dollars in bailouts given to banks during the recession allowed a return to huge profits while average Americans have had no relief from high unemployment and a struggling economy.
They also say the richest 1 per cent of Americans do not pay their fair share of taxes.
The New York Stock Exchange opened on time and was operating normally despite the protest.
Reuters