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Occupy NH: Richest 1 percent have too much power
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MANCHESTER — More than 200 people, from software engineers to the unemployed, gathered at Veterans Memorial Park Saturday to demand that ordinary Americans receive a greater voice in how their government is run.
“This is the beginning of an awakening,” said Ben Chichester, 50, a woodworker from Rye.
Chichester carried a flag with red and white stripes and corporate logos where stars normally would appear on an American flag. McDonald's, General Electric, Chrysler and Pepsi were among the companies of focus.
“Only the wealthy are making all the decisions,” Chichester said.
Joining a growing chorus of groups across the country who are protesting and camping out in parks to demonstrate their displeasure, Manchester protesters Saturday began the first day of an occupation of unknown length.
Ben Dizoglio of Hudson, an organizer, said protesters planned to move later Saturday to Victory Park, where some would camp overnight.
He said protests spreading to other cities “brought energy to everybody” turning out at the Manchester event.
Police said they believed the protesters had the proper permits. No arrests were reported.
Occupy New Hampshire, the group organizing the protest, is part of a grass-roots movement whose participants say they are among the “99 percent” of Americans who are being stripped of power by the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.
“I think there's got to be a time when things need to be fairer to the middle class,” said x He said protests spreading to other cities “brought energy to everybody” turning out at the Manchester event.
Police said they believed the protesters had the proper permits. No arrests were reported.
Occupy New Hampshire, the group organizing the protest, is part of a grass-roots movement whose participants say they are among the “99 percent” of Americans who are being stripped of power by the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.
“I think there's got to be a time when things need to be fairer to the middle class,” said Wilson Vigo, 64, a machinist from Manchester. “I'm not saying this group should be Robin Hood taking from the rich, but the rich should pay their fair share.”
Upwards of 100 protesters left Veterans Memorial Park to march along Elm Street in the early afternoon, chanting, “We are the 99 percent” and “You are the 99 percent.”
Kristina Smith of Manchester, who wasn't part of the protest, listened to one protester explain her view of the country's wealth inequity.
“I think they're right,” Smith said. “The rich should share the wealth.”
Merav Yaakov, 43, a software engineer from Henniker, brought her 10-year-old daughter, Maya, to the protest.
“Maya is very involved politically,” said her mother. The girl volunteers on the presidential campaign of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.
Maya, who is home schooled, said she attended with her dog, Yoda, “because I wanted to come and see what people think about politics and what's their decision.”
Republican presidential candidate Fred Karger turned out for the protest, saying his protesting dates back to his college days in the late 1960s.
“I think the system is broken and we need to open things up, so everybody has equal opportunity,” said Karger, who planned to visit Wall Street protesters in New York City on Tuesday.
Tuk Psyche, 25, who is unemployed, kept protesters up to date with events by writing a message in chalk on the park's sidewalk, including information to receive Twitter updates.
“Facebook has been the whole deal, really, maybe up to a few days ago” in getting the movement's message out, he said. A website, occupynh.org, now supplements that effort.
Psyche said Saturday's protest featured “a lot of faces I didn't see at our first two meetings” to help plan events.
“We all got different takes of the situation at the end,” Psyche said. “That's what this movement is about. A bunch of people with different perceptions to hash out what we agree on.”
Small business owner Gail Mitchell, 60, of Barrington said people from various occupations were unhappy with how their government operated.
“The reason is we don't feel we're being listened to, not being heard,” she said. “Wall Street has taken over our government.”
Emily Meeks, 17, of Manchester came out to be part of the “power with the numbers” by getting as many people as possible to reinforce their message.
“Get the power back to the people,” she said.
A friend, Alex Schwieger, 19, a construction worker from Derry, said he wanted to see what the protest was about. “It seems like they're doing a pretty good thing,” he said.Occupy Wall Street protests held around the world
“This is the beginning of an awakening,” said Ben Chichester, 50, a woodworker from Rye.
Chichester carried a flag with red and white stripes and corporate logos where stars normally would appear on an American flag. McDonald's, General Electric, Chrysler and Pepsi were among the companies of focus.
“Only the wealthy are making all the decisions,” Chichester said.
Joining a growing chorus of groups across the country who are protesting and camping out in parks to demonstrate their displeasure, Manchester protesters Saturday began the first day of an occupation of unknown length.
Ben Dizoglio of Hudson, an organizer, said protesters planned to move later Saturday to Victory Park, where some would camp overnight.
He said protests spreading to other cities “brought energy to everybody” turning out at the Manchester event.
Police said they believed the protesters had the proper permits. No arrests were reported.
Occupy New Hampshire, the group organizing the protest, is part of a grass-roots movement whose participants say they are among the “99 percent” of Americans who are being stripped of power by the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.
“I think there's got to be a time when things need to be fairer to the middle class,” said x He said protests spreading to other cities “brought energy to everybody” turning out at the Manchester event.
Police said they believed the protesters had the proper permits. No arrests were reported.
Occupy New Hampshire, the group organizing the protest, is part of a grass-roots movement whose participants say they are among the “99 percent” of Americans who are being stripped of power by the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.
“I think there's got to be a time when things need to be fairer to the middle class,” said Wilson Vigo, 64, a machinist from Manchester. “I'm not saying this group should be Robin Hood taking from the rich, but the rich should pay their fair share.”
Upwards of 100 protesters left Veterans Memorial Park to march along Elm Street in the early afternoon, chanting, “We are the 99 percent” and “You are the 99 percent.”
Kristina Smith of Manchester, who wasn't part of the protest, listened to one protester explain her view of the country's wealth inequity.
“I think they're right,” Smith said. “The rich should share the wealth.”
Merav Yaakov, 43, a software engineer from Henniker, brought her 10-year-old daughter, Maya, to the protest.
“Maya is very involved politically,” said her mother. The girl volunteers on the presidential campaign of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.
Maya, who is home schooled, said she attended with her dog, Yoda, “because I wanted to come and see what people think about politics and what's their decision.”
Republican presidential candidate Fred Karger turned out for the protest, saying his protesting dates back to his college days in the late 1960s.
“I think the system is broken and we need to open things up, so everybody has equal opportunity,” said Karger, who planned to visit Wall Street protesters in New York City on Tuesday.
Tuk Psyche, 25, who is unemployed, kept protesters up to date with events by writing a message in chalk on the park's sidewalk, including information to receive Twitter updates.
“Facebook has been the whole deal, really, maybe up to a few days ago” in getting the movement's message out, he said. A website, occupynh.org, now supplements that effort.
Psyche said Saturday's protest featured “a lot of faces I didn't see at our first two meetings” to help plan events.
“We all got different takes of the situation at the end,” Psyche said. “That's what this movement is about. A bunch of people with different perceptions to hash out what we agree on.”
Small business owner Gail Mitchell, 60, of Barrington said people from various occupations were unhappy with how their government operated.
“The reason is we don't feel we're being listened to, not being heard,” she said. “Wall Street has taken over our government.”
Emily Meeks, 17, of Manchester came out to be part of the “power with the numbers” by getting as many people as possible to reinforce their message.
“Get the power back to the people,” she said.
A friend, Alex Schwieger, 19, a construction worker from Derry, said he wanted to see what the protest was about. “It seems like they're doing a pretty good thing,” he said.