Union ranks add oomph to Occupy Wall Street protest
More than 5,000 protesters stormed Foley Square yesterday as dozens of the city’s most powerful and high-profile unions joined ranks with the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Helicopters hovered overhead as the masses of people shouted: “They got bailed out! We got sold out!”
At least 30 unions pledged support to the movement including the Transport Workers Union and the United Federation of Teachers. Even Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer was spotted among the throngs.
A massive walk-out on college campuses such as NYU, Pratt and Columbia added steam to the march.
Hunter College professor Kelly Anderson, 46, even brought her 6-year-old daughter to the protest. “I wanted to teach her the importance of getting your voice heard,” she said. “Just now she asked me, ‘What’s democracy?’”
Some protesters hoped that the unions would help clarify the demands of the protest. “Marching is a statement in itself, but I hope we start having a message soon,” said Caroline Spring, 18.
Cops at the ready
Cops were ready to arrest protesters last night. Blocks away from the protest, an NYPD corrections bus lay awaiting protesters should they break the law.
The Occupy Wall Street protesters have received $65,000 in donations, it was reported yesterday.
“I think the unions joining is great. It means that the interest of the workers and the students have finally aligned,” said Mario Cancel, 28, a student at NYU.
Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro.
