'Why Are You Here?': The 99 Faces Of 'Occupy' Protesters [PHOTOS]

Photographers have descended on Occupy demonstrations across the country, snapping shots of the protesters faces whether bloodied during police clashes, or resilient and even when they're blasted with pepper spray. But with no central leader, the movement's most recognizable face may be a mask.

It's exactly this quality of facelessness that led photographer and filmmaker August Bradley to use his camera to look Occupy Wall Street's protestors in the eyes and show some of the faces behind the movement -- 99 of them in fact. Bradley completed his project, called the 99 Faces of Occupy Wall Street, in just one day with a randomly selected group of subjects primarily composed of protestors camping out in Zuccotti park. The photos feature a variety of subjects including, medics, visitors and even pets.

"I thought the idea... of looking into the eyes of the protestors in a very intense and honest way would be a different way to communicate something, certainly about the people behind it, but also the movement in general, as told by the stories of in the faces of those people," Bradley told The Huffington Post.

Alongside the photos, Bradley asked his subjects to answer a simple question "Why are you here?" The answers ranged from fighting inequality to promoting anarchy to a simple "woof" ("dogs are part of the encampment -- it seemed appropriate they should be part of the series," Bradley said) and while the photographer said he agrees with some of the responses and not with others, his own personal opinions of it aren't the point of his project. Instead, the photos are about starting a discussion.

"What I see when I look at these portraits is a real weight, a seriousness, with which people are approaching the movement," he says. "These people are really passionate about it and they've educated themselves about the issues. It's not just the cause of the week. They identify this as the movement of our generation."

Here are 24 faces from August Bradley's 99 Faces of Occupy Wall St.:

 

 

Comments

[zenlama]

11:44 PM on 12/27/2011

Seeing and reading this just made me feel good and reignited my belief that we can and will change.

[Broke13]

03:47 PM on 12/02/2011

I am proud of them, but would like them to make a better point. They need to focus on the banks trying to help people that might of lost a job, and cant bounce back without help. Also, those bonus's are ridiculous, and to get rid of jobs, that are barely a living wage and benefits so they can make more millions is the crime. Like Fannie and Freddie. We dont need to give them billions. And since they are failing, they shouldnt make millions off tax payer money for doing a bad job. If they lose good "talent" then its no loss since there is no talent on a failing company.

[christina444]

02:14 PM on 12/02/2011

Thank you August for this profoundly beautiful piece!!!

"Health care, education, food and shelter are human rights." - Miriam (a medic)

[Ryan Szalay]

01:49 PM on 12/02/2011

Hey Occupy Idiots! Why do you use the mask of a man who attempted to blow up Parliament in order to create a fascist regime as your symbol of freedom? You look like fools. You might as well use the swastika as your symbol of freedom.

[GrumpyinAZ]

01:58 PM on 12/02/2011

Haven't seen the movie Vendetta have you?

[stuart100s]

09:58 AM on 12/02/2011

"I'm here because property is robbery", unless it is my facial piercings. Those are mine. I sold my food stamps for 50% of value and bought them fair and square.

[atheis4]

03:38 PM on 12/02/2011

Ad hominum attack.

[Druudge]

08:20 AM on 12/02/2011

...

OCCUPY utter FAIL.....

The 98% didn't fall for it....
.

[Druudge]

08:58 AM on 12/02/2011

That O.W.S......She's mighty white.
.

[GrumpyinAZ]

01:59 PM on 12/02/2011

Answering your own posts?

[Photon55]

09:12 AM on 12/02/2011

The failure of the movement was that their protest and demonstrations didn't bring about the results that woudl bring your 98% to their senses because they soon will be in the same mess as the other 2%. OWS did have much support from those who didn't hit the street but there was much sympathy for the cause. There message is still alive and well.

[TravelinMatt]

08:20 AM on 12/02/2011

"woof". So true. I couldn't have said it better.

[jimo7588]

08:10 PM on 12/01/2011

So the person in the lead picture is there because "property is robbery"?? What kind of idiot comes up with something as perverted as that?

Pretty impressive nose and lip rings that I'm assuming she owns. By her defintion, I'm wondering who she stole them from....

[UCBAlum]

10:08 PM on 12/01/2011

This is what participatory democracy looks like.

[Brian Floyd]

11:43 AM on 12/02/2011

Not only that, but if property is robbery then all are thieves. Were there no property there'd be no concept of robbery as there would be no owners from whom to rob. She's a little young methinks.

[Andrew Nutra]

07:44 PM on 12/01/2011

Hey that's the mask the corporate made movie "Vendetta" made famous!

[Keith Jigleeottee]

09:14 PM on 12/01/2011

Hey they aren't against corporations, pay attention...

[SamKnause]

07:18 PM on 12/01/2011

A wonderful group of diverse people with a firm grasp of what ails the U.S., and the world.

True patriots one and all.

Occupy everywhere !!!!!

[Andrew Nutra]

07:44 PM on 12/01/2011

Long live the percussion revolution!

[Martha Fair]

05:25 PM on 12/01/2011

Occupy the minds of Republicans. Don't let them rest until they have spent every cent they own on perpetrating lies and falsehoods. Expose them for what they are at EVERY opportunity. We are starting to wear them down now. I have noticed the fear in their anti-union voices. They hate unions so much it is comical. Psssst...it's because a man making 35$ per hour is more powerful than one working 3 min wage jobs and they don't like it!

[stuart100s]

10:02 AM on 12/02/2011

Unions are corporations too! Unions have resorted to getting 2 people to do one job, that way they get 2 dues instead of one. P.S. that man making $35/hour should be getting paid $70/hour except the union sold him down the river so they could hire an additional organizer.

[atheis4]

03:43 PM on 12/02/2011

Unions are not corporations because they do not function in practice or purpose like corporations. Corporations modus operandi is to make money. Therefore, they exhaust their capital trying to maximize profit. The easiest way to do that is to fire workers.

Unions are collections of workers which evolved out of the many labor abuses in our history.

This is a false equivalency argument.

American productivity double between post WWII and 1980, as did all wages. Productivity doubled again from 1980-2007. This time the wages of the bottom 80% stagnated. Corporate bosses, CEO, etc saw their income rise by over 200%.

Unions strive for fairness. Corporations strive for profit.

[711revvi]

05:18 PM on 12/01/2011

How about faces of the 2% of the Mega wealthy, along with a list of where they buy thier stuff, including yatchs and other Really expensive stuff. How about a list of how many jobs they have
created? What kind of jobs? How have they contributed to creating jobs? how much do the pay?Right now they are anonymous . They need to be made visble and held accountable. They've taken our jobs, and our homes. What's going to be next? They need to be as visible as they are making OWS and the 99%.. Come on media, give us "regular people" a break.
.
When are people going to back off the idea that socialism is a bad thing,,,no I'm not one, however up to 2001 our country did very well with a balance of both. We even had a balanced budget. An all socialist system is not a good thing, but neither is an all capitalist system.

Glad you're scared My Lutz, join the 99% We're scared too, of the continued assualt on the middle class.. I can't see economic recovery without changes on Wall Street and how America does business, if jobs aren't created on purpose and systematicly by our government as well as the corporate America,we'll become an Oligarchy, which I beleive is actually the Repbulican agenda. Get real mr. lutz, If people don't have jobs, they can't spend:: Its simple, no jobs, no spending, no recovery, bigger deficit.

The Rev.

[salebored]

04:53 PM on 12/01/2011

OWS=Occupy WAR Spending

[rwellsrwells]

04:14 PM on 12/01/2011

These pictures do my heart good. The occupy movement, for all its flaws, is one thing that is very right about America.

[Scott Fraley]

05:52 PM on 12/01/2011

Well said.

[themainpoint]

04:11 PM on 12/01/2011

I think OWS has done a great job pointing out that competing fairly, earning your wealth and creating jobs is quite different from committing massive fraud, stealing what other people have earned and melting down other people's businesses, jobs and lives.