JD's impressions from "Occupy Philadelphia"

[struggle4progress]

Posted: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 1:00 pm | Updated: 2:46 pm, Tue Oct 11, 2011.

By J.D. Mullane | 10 comments

The smell of revolution hung in the air. Or maybe it was the peculiar pungence of the ‘60s. Whatever, the thousand or so foot soldiers with “Occupy Philadelphia” assembled at Philadelphia City Hall for a third day of protest Saturday. They prepared to march to Independence Hall to demand — deep breath now ---

Ending fossil fuels ... legalizing medical marijuana ... gay marriage ... free day care ... free health care ... free college tuition ... the end of the two-party political system ... higher taxes ... more personal freedom ... more government regulation ... more personal freedom through more government regulation ...

Dilworth Plaza — crowded but peaceful. The protesters had laptops, mobile phones and pop-up tents. Young men drummed on the bottoms of empty 5-gallon plastic buckets. A woman danced about with a hula hoop, though she seemed too old for it. There were some older people, but most of the protesters were young, white and suburban.

A stout, graying man in a T-shirt stepped in front of me, hawking a socialist newspaper ...

http://www.phillyburbs.com/blogs/news_columnists/jd_mullane/jd-s-impressions-from-occupy-philadelphia/article_2afda8ed-1d94-5954-8243-e5ca9214a2f8.html