‘Occupy Boston’ protests continue today in Boston
By Brian R. Ballou and John R. Ellement
Globe Staff
About 100 people are marching through downtown Boston this morning as part of the Occupy Boston protest.
Accompanied by Boston Police officers who stopped traffic at key intersections, the protesters first gathered in the city’s Financial District this morning and then marched to the State House where they stood on the steps, chanting slogans and holding signs.
Some of the signs included “capitalism is organized crime” and “where’s my golden parachute?”
Most of the protesters appeared to be in their 20s. As they walked through the streets they called out to passersby.
“We are the 99 percent,” one group would shout.
“So are you,’’ another group shouted in response.
During the walk, a handful of people apparently heading to work, briefly joined the protest. One woman handed over to the marchers the cookies she had made for co-workers.
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.
The demonstration, largely fueled by social media, is aimed at calling attention to what protesters call the ‘‘bottom 99 percent’’ of America who are hammered by rising costs for education, housing, and health care.
John R. Ellement can be reached at ellement@globe.com.
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