Occupy Boston plan rush hour rally
By Maria Sacchetti, Globe Staff
Demonstrators who have descended on Boston’s Financial District -- one of several such demonstrations erupting across the country -- plan a round of protests tomorrow that could snarl traffic in the city.
The protesters, who decry what they see as the economic hardships of ordinary Americans, said they will rally during the morning rush hour near their base, across from South Station and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
The group, called Occupy Boston , is inspired by Occupy Wall Street, a demonstration entering its third week in Manhattan’s Financial District that led to the arrest of 700 people Saturday on charges of blocking the Brooklyn Bridge. The effort has spread to dozens of communities nationwide, with tens of thousands of people participating.
In Boston, the protests had been building for several days, and on Friday swelled to about 1,000 in Dewey Square. Police arrested 24 people on trespassing charges when they refused to leave the Bank of America building nearby.
But the demonstration, largely fueled by social media, has generally been a peaceful attempt to call attention to what protesters call the ‘‘bottom 99 percent’’ of America who are strapped by rising costs for education, housing, and health care.
‘‘The common root that everybody here has is that they feel like something’s wrong with the system,’’ Tim Hansen, 21, a UMass Lowell student who is facing thousands of dollars in college loans, said today. ‘‘They feel they’ve been disenfranchised.’’
The demonstrators are a loosely organized group drawn together by e-mails, phone calls and a personal fear that the country is heading in the wrong direction. They do not yet have demands, but they are holding daily general meetings, often broadcast on the Internet, to air concerns and discuss possible solutions.
Hansen said protesters come from a range of backgrounds, from Libertarians to Marxists.
Michael Flowers, a 24-year-old makeup artist and a spokesman for the Boston group, said their efforts aim to appeal to a wide array of people, including conservatives worried about inaction in Washington.
He said a well-off benefactor donated tents to house demonstrators.
‘‘Wall Street started a spark, and it ignited a unified feeling of alienation from what it means to be an American,’’ Flowers said. ‘‘I think that everybody here feels that alienation and wants to do something about it.’’
Contact Maria Sacchetti at msacchetti@globe.com
Demonstrators who have descended on Boston’s Financial District -- one of several such demonstrations erupting across the country -- plan a round of protests tomorrow that could snarl traffic in the city.
The protesters, who decry what they see as the economic hardships of ordinary Americans, said they will rally during the morning rush hour near their base, across from South Station and the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
The group, called Occupy Boston , is inspired by Occupy Wall Street, a demonstration entering its third week in Manhattan’s Financial District that led to the arrest of 700 people Saturday on charges of blocking the Brooklyn Bridge. The effort has spread to dozens of communities nationwide, with tens of thousands of people participating.
In Boston, the protests had been building for several days, and on Friday swelled to about 1,000 in Dewey Square. Police arrested 24 people on trespassing charges when they refused to leave the Bank of America building nearby.
But the demonstration, largely fueled by social media, has generally been a peaceful attempt to call attention to what protesters call the ‘‘bottom 99 percent’’ of America who are strapped by rising costs for education, housing, and health care.
‘‘The common root that everybody here has is that they feel like something’s wrong with the system,’’ Tim Hansen, 21, a UMass Lowell student who is facing thousands of dollars in college loans, said today. ‘‘They feel they’ve been disenfranchised.’’
The demonstrators are a loosely organized group drawn together by e-mails, phone calls and a personal fear that the country is heading in the wrong direction. They do not yet have demands, but they are holding daily general meetings, often broadcast on the Internet, to air concerns and discuss possible solutions.
Hansen said protesters come from a range of backgrounds, from Libertarians to Marxists.
Michael Flowers, a 24-year-old makeup artist and a spokesman for the Boston group, said their efforts aim to appeal to a wide array of people, including conservatives worried about inaction in Washington.
He said a well-off benefactor donated tents to house demonstrators.
‘‘Wall Street started a spark, and it ignited a unified feeling of alienation from what it means to be an American,’’ Flowers said. ‘‘I think that everybody here feels that alienation and wants to do something about it.’’
Contact Maria Sacchetti at msacchetti@globe.com
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