Occupy LA Protests Are Tens Of Thousands Strong & Growing

Thousands marched through Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, adding to the global throng of protesters that celebrated the one month anniversary of the Wall Street occupation.

The protesters that marched from Pershing Square to City Hall numbered ten to fifteen thousand people, reports CBS Los Angeles, and once again ended without a single arrest.

The Los Angeles Times has more on the peaceful scene:

The protesters' call-and-response chants echoed off the walls of high-rises and overpasses. "This is what democracy looks like." "Whose streets? Our streets." "We got sold out. Banks got bailed out." "We are the 99%!"

Despite the frustration and anger that many protesters expressed, the march took on a decidedly festive atmosphere. Families walked together, with mothers carrying babes in Snuggies and tattooed fathers toting toddlers on their shoulders. One woman twirled a Hula-Hoop around her middle as she walked. A man strummed a guitar. Several people pounded drums.

This video from the Franklin Gang notes that while Los Angeles' march was peaceful, other protests on Saturday's "Global Day of Action" were not so fortunate.

Violent protesters in Rome racked up $1.4 million in damages, reports the Associated Press. 175 people were arrested in Chicago, while dozens more were arrested in New York, Denver and Phoenix.

In contrast, the city of Los Angeles seems to have gone out of its way to show solidarity for the movement. The City Council passed a resolution last Thursday to formally support the Occupy LA protesters. Additionally, during the first week that occupiers camped out on the lawn of City Hall, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa reportedly handed out plastic ponchos to protect them from the coming rain.

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Comments

[themainpoint]

07:37 PM on 10/17/2011

For those who are going to pretend they don't get it:

They are protesting the freeloadin­g financial execs that instead of working for a living turned to fraud and melted down other people's jobs, pensions, opportunit­ies and economies. (and then looted trillions more in a handout that came from hard workers)

[flossophy]

08:09 PM on 10/17/2011

Government distortion of the mortgage industry caused the financial crisis. The politicians wag their fingers at the eviI financial execs for the failure of government policy and institutions. 

Unfortunately, 99% of the protesters will vote for more Big Government in 2012. 

You were saying something about not getting it?

[themainpoint]

09:01 PM on 10/17/2011

Government encouraged, facilitated, aided and abetted. But this historic fraud could never have happened without many sociopath financial execs who knew precisely what they were doing as they tore apart this economy and burned people's jobs, pensions and opportunities. The fraud and intentional breaches of fiduciary duty will be exposed in a real investigation.

Time will tell. The truth always comes out in the end.

[RagdeSitum]

09:32 PM on 10/17/2011

Wrong. Repealing the Glass-Steagall Act caused the financial crisis. The repeal once again legalized speculative market practices that created a bubble of unimaginable proportions. Why don't you baggers understand that deregulation is the problem?

[Stan Cunningham]

08:59 AM on 10/18/2011

And the protesters have turned to not working, bathing, and just want to make life harder for everyone!

[Entre Nous]

06:28 PM on 10/17/2011

Attention Everyone.
You know all those Credit Card Offers that these Banks send out millions of daily. Start Mailing them their Pre Stamped envelopes back empty. Thats a lot of money in postage that they can eat.

[shooter486]

06:58 PM on 10/17/2011

Tape them to a brick

[Joseph Glackin]

10:12 PM on 10/17/2011

You beat me to it. As a retired Postal Clerk who handled BRM (Business Reply Mail), the mail is charged as 1st Class, PLUS a handling fee.
I saw bricks taped to BRM Post Cards. We charged 1st Class rates for the weight. After the 1st oz and the handling fee, it was $.22/oz, when I retired,

[FoxNude]

05:34 PM on 10/17/2011

Where can I find ALL the pics and videos from Occupy LA Oct 15, 2011?

[Joseph Glackin]

10:13 PM on 10/17/2011

Try www.occupyla
Each city has been developing a site.

[RagdeSitum]

03:26 PM on 10/17/2011

Did anyone read the LA Times coverage on the Sunday paper? They had two articles buried in page 12. On the first, they only gave turnout numbers for rallies that hundreds of protesters. Regarding NY, they only mentioned the 1000 that split of to close their bank accounts, but no mention of the other 20-30 thousand in attendance. Likewise, they only mentioned Madrid and Rome by name but no numbers were provided. Regarding the LA rally, they mentioned hundreds instead of the 10-15 thousand in attendance. The other article, which took as much space as the first, was about a lone Eskimo woman protesting with her dog in the tundra. Needless to say, I've canceled my subscription.

[Clare53]

03:43 PM on 10/17/2011

On Saturday there was a homepage article that said hundreds attended the rally. A completely passive-aggressive statement from the Times. I was there, and while I don't believe there were as many as 15,000 people, there were definitely 5,000 or more.

[shooter486]

06:59 PM on 10/17/2011

"no mention of the other 20-30 thousand in attendance­. "

Because nobody believes that there are that many protesters that came out.

[DanSc]

02:41 PM on 10/17/2011

I saw a sign saying "America is a Union." If that's true, why are we letting so many scab workers cross the border?

[jimboy71]

03:31 PM on 10/17/2011

The GOP likes its maids and gardeners to work for free?

[DanSc]

04:21 PM on 10/17/2011

If they worked for free, they wouldn't come.

[shooter486]

07:00 PM on 10/17/2011

75% of the people thought they were there for a immigration rally.

[rollingrock]

02:08 PM on 10/17/2011

Great to see and props to Huffpost for giving extensive fair coverage to these protests and not ignoring the 99% as the MSM usually does.

[themainpoint]

07:27 PM on 10/17/2011

Exactly the reason Huffpo is surpassing the New York Times. They highlight the important news for the lives of their viewers instead of burying it in the back pages.

[Michael James Williams]

01:32 PM on 10/17/2011

This is so exciting! Let's do it! Let's get the money out of politics and take the government back for the ppl. Enough is enough! We are the 99%!

[DanSc]

02:42 PM on 10/17/2011

Protests aren't supposed to be exciting. I don't think anyone was on the bridge in Selma thinking, "This is going to be so much fun!"

[Michael James Williams]

02:49 PM on 10/17/2011

The change the protests are sure to bring is the exciting part. At least the change I hope it brings. I'm doing my part. I hope everyone wanting change gets out there too! Although I have to say it's been kinda fun too at times. Not too often we get to express ourselves in this fashion. =]

[shooter486]

07:01 PM on 10/17/2011

"Let's get the money out of politics and take the government back for the ppl."

Wow, that sounds exciting. What do we do?

[Hitchcockcameo]

01:21 PM on 10/17/2011

I love how LA is embracing the protests while the likes of the so-called 'liberal' Boston mayor becomes this little 'tyrrrrant' who refuses to let people exercise their First Amendment rights on his watch.

[ddemos]

02:39 PM on 10/17/2011

????

[shooter486]

07:01 PM on 10/17/2011

Mayor Villa La Raza will embrace anybody that has money or a camera.

[socalcde]

12:46 PM on 10/17/2011

WE LOVE LA, WE LOVE IT!!!!

[leorangerie]

11:37 AM on 10/17/2011

Thank you for peaceful protests. No damage to public property. I do feel bad for small business owners who had to shut down because customers couldn't get to them. But this is a democracy, and that was democracy in action. The way it should be.

[Wendy Davis]

01:28 PM on 10/17/2011

Unfortunately, this is what will make the politicians take notice - stopping commerce - when the cost of selling out the country is more than acceptable, the approach to leadership will react accordingly. This is a leadership issue, where we all today - all those happy, well-fed and well-dressed politicians have failed the people but are wealthier than ever.

[shooter486]

07:02 PM on 10/17/2011

"I do feel bad for small business owners who had to shut down because customers couldn't get to them. But this is a democracy"

Democracy is about shutting down small businesses?

[themainpoint]

07:33 PM on 10/17/2011

When it is necessary in order to prevent MORE businesses and jobs from being shut down due to the actions freeloading financial execs that commit fraud and melt down the economy until it is teetering on epic depression....then yes.

If these people taking the economy apart are not stopped now, the last depression will look like a cake walk.

[leorangerie]

08:41 PM on 10/17/2011

yes, that is part of the democratic process, such as it is.

[djdeleon]

10:56 AM on 10/17/2011

I STAND WITH YOU ALL

[TruelyFedUp]

10:37 AM on 10/17/2011

OCCUPY THE WORLD Matisyahu-One Day (song)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl-yQxcO_EY&list=FLp8R7uIpoBDK6WCzrXIgo6Q&index=1

[Scott Knell]

09:58 AM on 10/17/2011

Where's this "participate" button so I can share my photos?

[krisgarfield]

11:00 AM on 10/17/2011

This page is VERY messed up. My pic with Ron Kovic (see above) was a PAIN to load. There is no Participate icon.......Here's what you do...Scroll up...under "Contribute to this story" Click on Send Photos/Videos...it'll be self explanatory from there. Like I said...it was a pain. Hopefully you'll have an easier time than me. I can't even view the slide show though...

[Scott Knell]

01:02 PM on 10/17/2011

Thanks... That's what I ended up doing... glad I'm not the only one who's page isn't formatting correctly... (the css is all screwy) ... I thought it was only me and my browser.

[Scott Knell]

06:13 PM on 10/17/2011

I also added a video... let's see if that works.
http://youtu.be/SI58fg1i9f0

[tosc]

09:00 AM on 10/17/2011

I am cancelling my BofA charge card! Found a smaller bank, who was not part of the Bailout, and signed up for their credit card....and at a lower interest rate! Doing my absolute best to return to cash transactions to minimize any further profits the banks and lending agencies attempt to grab! We can do alot from home......cancel a credit card issued from the Bailout Bunch and use cash as much as possible!

[CenterBlinker]

12:08 PM on 10/17/2011

I responded to this post but I guess no one wants to hear the truth.

[CenterBlinker]

12:34 PM on 10/17/2011

Second Attempt: The bailout is actually making us money...Just google search "Bank Bailout Turns Profit" I don't think canceling your credit cards is a good idea because credit is a great way to leverage your money. It is not as easy to get credit cards as it used to be. Don't you feel that the borrowers are somewhat responsible for the bubble, or is the bank supposed to be fully responsible for those who are irresponsible with their money? I guess that's why we reinstated regulation vs. Bush's De-Regulation! So that the little boys and girls that are borrowing money they can't pay back won't do that anymore. Anyway, I am not a big fan of the banks and I know these snakes will do anything for money. Educating ourselves is the best option here. The more we know about money and how it works, the better we can protect ourselves from the banks.

[Deranged loner]

04:45 PM on 10/17/2011

The banksters use creative accounting to make it appear they have paid us back but it isn't so.

[Bubba Link]

08:10 AM on 10/17/2011

What a bunch of Sheep. Over half the people there have no idea what the hell there doing there.. Heres a novel idea. how about occupying a job...or a soup kitchen or you local red cross. Come on Mr. President you know you want to use the tear gas on them. Go for it. Show a little guts..

[grn1]

10:07 AM on 10/17/2011

Good armchair referee you are. I have done all of the occupying you mention, during the Northridge quake and aftershocks, I drove from Northridge to LA to cook and donate food for 400 people to Red Cross. Still do this work, created my own employment and then yesterday found time to babysit one grandson 7-11, went to protest for labeling of GMO's at the fed building until 3 and then came home to cook, play and babysit my grandkids while their parents worked until 7. Then did my job of teaching cooking classes from 7:30-10:00.
I am writing this at 7 the following morning at which it is now time to get busy again. Baaaah

[Bubba Link]

10:19 AM on 10/17/2011

You are my hero...wanna baby sit this weekend...

[notmytime]

10:28 AM on 10/17/2011

I believe Bubba would still call you a slacker. But in my eyes, you are amazing!

[socalcde]

12:49 PM on 10/17/2011

Don't have time, it takes two jobs just to try and cover my rent, and whatever is left , if anything, goes towards food for me and my kids, which lately comes from the local 99 cent store. I thank everyone who has taken the time to be there to try and bring needed change to our country. Get with it Bubba.