Over 300 people gathered October 15 at St. Petersburg's South Straub Park, joining nationwide protests sparked by the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations. Occupy Saint Petersburg's first protest Saturday had numbers similar to Occupy Tampa being held at the same time. Occupy Tampa's marchers, "beating drums and chanting 'we are the 99 percent'," ended up at Lakes Gaslight Square Park, according to an article in Sunday's St. Petersburg (Florida) Times ("Occupy fever spreads in bay," by Curtis Krueger and Shelley Rossetter). At one point, Tampa's group "took to the steps of the Federal Courthouse," according to the Times article.
The St. Petersburg crowd ranged in age from young children accompanying parents to those old enough to be great-grandparents. Phyllis Schuster, 80 years old, carried a two-sided sign. One side read, "100 Senators, 435 Representatives; You All Deserve to be laid-off!" Ms. Schuster's favorite side read, "Wall Street: Think This Is A Mob? Keep Doin' What You're Doin'."
Phyllis Schuster
Sarah Collette held a sign stating, "We don't want your money, we want our country back!" "We're not being represented," Ms. Collette stated. "It seems that money is more important than people."
Sarah Collette
Family groups were also at the protest. Local artist Boo Ehrsam and her daughter Arwen C. A. Saxon were at the protest, carrying signs and enjoying the comradery of like-minded people. Janet Dowell came with her mother Dolly and friend Nancy. The trio found a place on the sidewalk facing Beach Drive to sit in chairs while holding signs.
Boo Ehrsam and Arwen C. A. Saxon
Dolly Dowell, Janet Dowell and friend Nancy
The local protest was peaceful, while civilian peace-keepers wearing orange bandanas were there to avert any potential problems. Since microphones were not allowed at the protest, one peace keeper gathered the crowd together. He then called out information to the crowd; this info was then chanted by the crowd so that those farther back could hear what was being said.
Another event is scheduled for next Saturday at 2 p.m.
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