Occupy Ithaca took over the Commons this afternoon in support of the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City. About 200 sign-waving, slogan-chanting demonstrators lined both sides of East Seneca Street demanding an end to all things corporate. The slogan du jour was, “We are the ninety-nine percent,” referring to the amount of the country’s population they believe is being oppressed by the other one percent. Their corollary to this is that all problems and disparities in society can be fixed by taxing the top one percent and the shadowy, greedy corporations who represent them. The protesters words speak for themselves:
- “We are getting nothing while the other 1% is getting everything.”
- “The corporate interests would rather have people making no money…and having us all living on plantations…and it seems like that’s where we’re headed today.”
- “This movement has been characterized by the lack of a single demand.”
- “Economic justice for all.”
- “Stop robbing from the middle class to pay the rich.”
- “Living wage jobs now.”
- “Illegalize corporate greed.”
- “This is not class warfare this is class self defense.”
- “We have to take [wealth] back from the richest because we deserve it.”
- “The [Tompkins County] programs have been eliminated because we can’t tax the millionaires and billionaires.”
- “I think that the [Greek] islands will be sold and oil companies will be put there.”
- “Go down to Washington, go out to the Capital and bash the place in…you’ve got to shut it all down like France.”
As passing Prii honked support from the street, some (rather violent) anti-capitalist pamphlets were distributed, MoveOn.org made its presence known, and many protesters vowed to continue their ‘fight’ – whatever it may be – indefinitely. They plan on meeting weekly until they “turn this American Winter into an Arab Spring,” as one protest sign put it. These class warriors, the self-proclaimed voice of 99 out of every 100 Americans, will get a full treatment in the next issue of The Cornell Review. For now, please enjoy the pictures and begin preparing for the war. 
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