Thousands of workers and union leaders marched on Wall Street on Thursday to express their anger over lost jobs, the taxpayer-funded bailout of financial institutions and questionable lending practices by big banks.Could you imagine the uproar if Tea Partiers brazenly invaded some businesses and began making demands? This instead is met with stifled yawns.
The rally was organized by the AFL-CIO and an association of community groups. It included a diverse mixture of union workers, activists, the unemployed, and homeowners threatened by foreclosure.
"These guys are like pirates," said small business owner Karen Casamassima, of New York, who called for "economic patriotism" and held up a jewel encrusted skull with the words, "Financial Terrorists."
The protesters, carrying signs saying "Wall Street Overdrafted Our Economy" and "Reclaim America," rallied at City Hall Park, then marched down to the Merrill Lynch Bull statue demanding good jobs and accountability from banks.
"I think Wall Street is responsible for the collapse of our economy," said Bennett Silverstein, an attorney from Brooklyn who said his savings were depleted by the recession.
Earlier in the day, noisy protesters with signs took over two bank building lobbies on Manhattan's Park Avenue in a prelude to the rally.
More than 100 people entered a midtown building housing JPMorgan Chase offices. They handed a bank executive a letter requesting a meeting with the CEO, and chanted "Bust up! Big banks!" and "People power!"
A half-hour later, they were calmly escorted outside by officers, who remained expressionless as the protesters chanted, "The police need a raise."
They then walked a few blocks up the avenue and crowded into the lobby of the Seagram Building, where Wells Fargo and Wachovia, the bank it merged with in 2008, have offices.
Of course as we predicted earlier today nowhere is it mentioned this "diverse mixture" was organized primarily by an Obama "economic adviser" and assorted Obama-supporting groups. Here's some of that "diversity":
Associated Groups: Diversity4Obama, Downtown West Side Manhattan for Obama, Flight Attendants for Obama, Grandparents for Obama, Group Administrators for Obama - Collaboration Group, New York Petition Drive 8th Congressional District, New York Union Members for Obama, NY Seniors for Obama, NYC4Obama (New York Coordination), NYCLabor4obama, Organized Labor for Obama, TriBeCa 4 Obama, Tribeca For Change, Union members for Obama, USA.CAN, Writers for ObamaAn amazing array of diversity.
Meanwhile, one thug was picked up for robbing a Wall Street worker.
A man protesting alleged corruption on Wall Street Thursday himself was arrested by police for stealing from a bank worker during the rally.Update: Someone in the media finally notices what a sham this was.
Police said the man was caught stealing a backpack belonging to the fire safety director at JP Morgan Chase along Park Avenue.
The supsect was followed in the crowd by witnesses. He was arrested by police as he began to protest outside the offices of Wells Fargo.
Police said the stolen knapsack was recovered. The suspect, Paul Barber, was taken to the Midtown North precinct and charged with grand larceny, police said.
The rally was meant to look like a spontaneous explosion of workers, rising up to tackle the big, bad banks. It was nothing of the kind.Thanks to Instapundit for the link.
This was a carefully orchestrated demonstration meant to give strength and credibility to President Obama's reform legislation aimed at Wall Street. These people are pawns.
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