Hundreds Of Protesters 'Occupy Philadelphia'
Todd Quinones reports...
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A movement that started on Wall Street and spread to other cities is now taking root in our area.
Supporters of the "Occupy Philadelphia" movement gathered at a plaza adjacent to City Hall on Thursday morning and were preparing to camp out as they staged ongoing protests against what they call "corporate greed" and a lack of popular voice in national and local politics.
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Despite the apparent anger over issues that include joblessness, pollution, war, concentration of personal wealth, and loss of privacy, the mood was calm and sometimes festive -- there was music in the air at times.
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Steve Ross says his dashed American dream drove him to get involved.
"People losing their jobs. Nine percent unemployment. Homelessness and poverty at the highest levels in decades, if not ever," he tells KYW Newsradio.
He says these "Occupy" movements also draw inspiration from the Arab revolution.
"I was fortunate to be in Cairo before the coup. I saw the voice, the people that were angry. And now I look around at America, and I see that same voice."
Ross, who speaks for the Philadelphia demonstrators, says their goal is to "get power back to the people," but for this group, just what that means and how to effect change seem to be unanswered questions.
"It's very hard to figure out exactly how. That's something that will take a while for us to form. But right now, we need to show solidarity."
According to Lieutenant Raymond J. Evers of the Philadelphia Police Department, as of 7:30pm there had been no arrests or citations given at the Occupy Philly gatherings.
Reported by Ian Bush, KYW Newsradio 1060
(KYW's Paul Kurtz contributed to this report.)
