Occupiers march for second time in Oakland

On Tuesday night, traffic on Fifth and Forbes avenues was blocked not by an excess of vehicles,… On Tuesday night, traffic on Fifth and Forbes avenues was blocked not by an excess of vehicles, but by protesters from the Occupy Pittsburgh movement.

Parading past traffic lights down the median lines of roads from Mckee Place to Craig Street, more than 90 people marched throughout Oakland for more than an hour to protest the political voting system and economic policies.

As part of the Occupy Pittsburgh movement, protesters gathered around 8 p.m. last night at Schenley Plaza, donning bullhorns, bandannas and bongos. The protest began after the closing of the polls for the day’s municipal and county elections. The movement aimed to call attention to corruption in the electoral process by corporations, among other issues.

Since Oct. 15, more than 200 Occupiers have resided in the space on Mellon Green Downtown. The movement has continued to grow since its inception more than three weeks ago. Tuesday night marked the second Occupy Pittsburgh protest through Oakland. In contrast to last Wednesday’s similar-sized protest, police last night did not order the protesters to get off the streets.

Carolyn Elliot, a graduate student studying poetry and education at Pitt, marched through the streets carrying a sign that read, “Don’t just vote, march.” She said that she has participated in Occupy Pittsburgh since its beginning in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Elliot explained that the movement is assembly-led and that citizens came and garnered public action strictly as part of a grassroots movement.

“Economy isn’t benefiting anyone except for those at the top, the 1 percent of the population,” she said. “Electoral politics aren’t enough. Freedom of assembly is part of participating in democracy.”

Pitt senior Alex Basalyga, a philosophy major, said he simply joined the march to participate after learning of the event on Facebook.

“I’m not trying to yell,” he said. “I’m just trying to be present and open my ears”.

After weaving through the streets of Central Oakland, the protesters paraded in circles at the base of Litchfield Towers, trying to reach the students by shouting, “Out of the dorms, into the streets.”

A.J. Walker, who works for a subcontractor and attends the Community College of Allegheny County, was one of the many protesters who led the chants with a husky cry and a bullhorn. Students peered out of their windows with curiosity, some coming down to witness the spectacle firsthand.

Freshman Eric Snyder, an onlooker at the protest, said he had mixed feelings about the public display, commiserating with the frustration at poverty but saying he believed the movement was “without foundation” in its intent.

As marchers flooded the streets, cars began to honk and some drivers shouted obscenities. City police were also present, and they observed on foot from the sidewalks as well as by trailing the crowd in a car.

Tom Coleman, an out-of-work carpenter who has been participating in the movement since Oct. 15, regarded the police as very cooperative.

“The police and the fire department have been very supportive. They’ve been helping and cooperating with us the whole time, especially compared to how police [have taken action] in other areas,” he said.

In Oakland, Calif., police allegedly fired tear gas at a similar Occupy rally, injuring a protesting veteran. This incident brought the Occupy Pittsburgh movement to the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Oakland last week, where the protesters marched in solidarity with the injured California veteran, Scott Olsen.

Coleman said Tuesday night’s event was a success, garnering many spectators in Oakland and providing a “thoroughly exciting” example of a political outcry for students throughout the area.

As far as future events for Occupy Pittsburgh, details are still in the works. Coleman has been helping to coordinate a global livestream through occupypittsburgh.org in conjunction with Occupy Dublin. This international public statement will supposedly take place this Saturday Downtown at Grant and Sixth streets.

All of the protesters are expecting big things from the movement. Megan Warren, who attended the rally with her husband and two children, said simply voting isn’t enough anymore.

“I don’t vote because I don’t want to support any funded politician,” she said as she wheeled her 3-year-old daughter in a stroller down the center of Fifth Avenue amidst cries of, “Power for the people.”