Wall Street: "Rome" is burning? Part 3; On the front lines

This months cover featuring
a photo(K.K.W)from "Loft in the red-Zone"

It was a strange feel being amongst them,
as I don't know very many people willing to
sacrifice their time or their safety for some
greater good. It leaves you feeling
happy and sad.

Even if you didn't know there was going to be a protest rally starting at Zuccotti park, you knew something was up. Media vans were parked up and down Broadway in Manhattan, reporters hovering on the edges of the protesters HQ(Zuccotti park). Various protesters were stationed at the east and west end of the park; signs up, voices high, projecting towards the passing crowd. The park had become a community of sorts, people working in groups, while others rested for the next shift. Their com-link was up and running, coffee was at the ready, food(donated by supporters)was being organized. Buttons were being made, flyer's unpacked, banners made, and the basic sanitation needs of the park was being met. People took turns sweeping, and cleaning up. 

Media and reporters were there throughout the
morning and the day. Most were from the lower
levels of the media world.

Some of the protesters laundry is done by supporters. The whole park was alive with the collective will of those who now, called it home. The police were out in force but didn't seem to worried about  what they were seeing. After speaking to some of them[protesters] I learned that its various small groups who came together to form the collective, stationed at the park. Just about everyone was talkative and focused in one way or another. I got there at about 11am, and left at 2:34pm to visit my friend Marika, at the "Loft in the red-zone" exhibit at 23 wall street. When I got back the rally had started and people were already marching towards Centre street. Students who had walked out of class, teachers, union workers, and various individuals who had come on board for the cause. The drummers had begun to beat and beat, leading the people forward like the mythic call "to arms"!, "to arms"!, forward march! The collective will was such that at any moment sparks could fly at any moment. I grateful to be alive in this corner of time in the world, whatever it meant. "...There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were wining. And that I think was the handle, that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of old and evil. Not in any mean or military sense, we didn't need that. Our energy would simply prevail. We had all the momentum, we were riding the crest of a high,  and beautiful wave"...People were looking out from their office buildings and expansive homes, with a look in there eyes that could not easily summed up. Shop keepers cheered and showed support. Some showed signs of anger and disbelief. It really was a huge amount of people.

Its still hard to believe that so many of them
are sleeping there, and toughing it out.
One young woman,
 Zebeyda, from New Jersey,
subleased her apartment
so she could stay in the city till spring

When we all got to Centre street area many others were waiting, and small crowds were waiting on the sidewalks, and on the steps of the immense court house. The scene was powerful in its potency, much so, like a similar scene had played out more then 2,000 years ago, for almost the same reasons. "Rome",  is burning. What are you planning to do about it? Article and photos by K.K.W. "Art is the reason, art is the way". If would like to know more, go to:www.occupywallstreet.org 

The kitchen area.

I have to say the NYPD was on the job and
there were no acts of brutality,  or unreasonable
treatment of the protesters that I saw.