Darcy Wood:

Albert Lowe:

Fred Lee speaking at the Occupy Kansas City rally in Ilus Davis Park:

Previously: Occupy Kansas City: rally and march from Ilus Davis Park (October 30, 2011)

The one percent should probably start worrying.

“…Um, well, we were speaking on the, the ninety-nine, uh, on, on that analogy, or maybe not analogy, but on that demographic, if you will, and, um, it kind of puts in my mind that we all, we’re united whether we realize it or not. We’re all in the same boat together. We’re all living in this world and we’re all trying to make the best of it. And I feel that, uh, you know, the more that we get together and try to understand together that we, you know, we could, we could make something of it, you know…”

If the rest of the ninety-nine percent start thinking the same way…

Occupy Kansas City held a rally and march from Ilus Davis Park in downtown Kansas City on Sunday afternoon.

“It’s Not Only Our Right To Protest The Corruption, It’s Our Obligation”

Show Me Progress: What did you think of the day?

Ron McLinden: You know, it was interesting. I, I thought there might be a bigger turnout. But, my guess is that were probably about three hundred people and, and that’s a good turnout. Uh, the march, I was, uh, surprised to learn that City Hall had okayed it but the police had said no, at least that we couldn’t march in the streets. And, uh, we marched in the streets anyway and the police followed along with us for about four blocks and then just left us alone.

Show Me Progress: Uh, uh, what do you think today’s event accomplished?

Ron McLinden: You know, what does anything, what does anyone accomplish? I don’t know.  Well, there, there certainly was a media presence there and maybe part of the accomplishment will be whatever they choose to put on the air this evening. Uh, I think there was a good, um, a good spirit of coming together from people from a lot of different perspectives. Uh, maybe still not as many minority faces as the group would like, but, uh, you know, that, that will come along. Um, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s hard to know, there’s so many issues involved in this Occupy movement.

Show Me Progress: But hasn’t the, the dialogue, you know, the dialogue has changed since the Occupy movement has started.

Ron McLinden: And somebody retweeted an article just yesterday, I think, some, something on a national blog or in the press that tracks the, the occurrence of words in, in, uh, cable and other news media. And over the past few weeks it has gone from the word debt being the dominant word to the words Wall Street and occupy being dominant words. So, the, the movement has finally gotten the attention of the mainstream media. Uh, to what extent it has gotten the attention of the people that, that, uh, have offices in the capitol building in Washington and the people who are making the decisions in the, in the corporate board rooms, I, I don’t know yet.

[….]

Um, I think this movement has gotten some criticism for not having a focus and from my perspective that’s okay. I interpret the movement as evidence that there is widespread dissatisfaction among the American people, American people of all stripes, all political stripes, all races and creeds and, and socioeconomic status, that the country is headed in the wrong direction. I think there have been national, there are national polls that track that and the, the percent of the American people that believe we’re headed in the wrong direction is, has been trending upward I think.

So, the fact that, uh, people are coming together, albeit in a pretty disorganized factor, fashion, uh, is a good thing and we can only hope that, uh, some positive change will come out of it.

Show Me Progress: So, could you tell me why you’re here today?

Jim White: I’m here to show solidarity with the…ninety-nine percent that are being abused by the one percent. And just to demonstrate by personal presence support of that.

Show Me Progress: So, so what specifically, um, are some of the issues that, that concern you about this?

Jim White: I think the biggest concern we have is the loss of our middle class in this country. We’ve had a strong middle class since the end of the Second World War, it’s what built the country and it’s steadily getting eroded. Uh, the gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider and wider. The top one percent’s controlling more and more of the wealth of this country. And money buys control and money buys power and they’ve got it.

Show Me Progress: So, so, you know, we’ve, we’ve heard over time, that people talk about that their voice isn’t heard. Uh, do you think that that’s a big, big, uh part of this, that people feel that their voice isn’t being heard.

Jim White: Of course their voice isn’t being heard. Your voice is only heard if you’re able to have access to the people in power. And you can’t get access to the people in power unless you have the price of admission.

“Tax The Rich”

“Good Jobs Now”

Voices: We are the ninety-nine percent. We are the ninety-nine percent. We are the ninety-nine percent…

Show Me Progress: Why are you here today?

Eduard Lloyd: I’m, I am actually here to educate myself about what’s been going on in our world today.

Show Me Progress: And, uh, how did you hear about this?

Eduard Lloyd: Um, I’ve actually, I mean, it’s difficult for, for someone like me to not hear about because so many people, I mean, it’s, it’s thick, you know, a lot of people are talking about it. And so it just kind of, daily word.

Show Me Progress: And so, and so, what are, what are you hearing today that, that addresses some of the things? Are you, is it things that address your concerns, or what are you hearing about today?

Eduard Lloyd: Um, I, I think the, the main thing is, uh, money. I just, I think the whole thing is centered around money and, and people being, uh, unsatisfied with the, their current situation. Um, and for me I, I’ve realized that it’s about, I’m, I’m really searching for myself, you know, seeing where, what, what I’m supposed to be doing. And so I’m really just exploring, seeing like, like people like you what, what exactly, you know, what everybody’s doing just to kind of not be lost in the world. Because, you know, there’s a lot of things going on. And I there’s a lot of good, good things that, uh, could happen, you know.

Show Me Progress: So, so, you’ve heard some the things that they’ve talked about here and, and, uh, about, uh, various issues, especially about money. So, has anything really struck you?

Eduard Lloyd: Um, well, we were speaking on the, the ninety-nine, uh, on, on that analogy, or maybe not analogy, but on that demographic, if you will, and, um, it kind of puts in my mind that we all, we’re united whether we realize it or not. We’re all in the same boat together. We’re all living in this world and we’re all trying to make the best of it. And I feel that, uh, you know, the more that we get together and try to understand together that we, you know, we could, we could make something of it, you know.

Show Me Progress: Do you think that that’s happening now?

Eduard
Lloyd: I do, I do. I believe that, uh, I believe that, that, uh, peace has been seeded and, and that it will grow.

Show Me Progress: But, do, do you see this as, uh, that people here are reacting to a world that isn’t that way for them?

Eduard Lloyd: Yeah, I see a lot of people here that that’s, that’s the reason they’re here. The reason.

“Eat The Rich”

“Big Banks Are Corrupt, Strict Regulations!”

“If Only The War On Poverty Was A Real War, Then We Would Actually Be Putting Money Into It”

Watching the great unwashed from on high…

Occupy Kansas City held a rally and march from Ilus Davis Park in downtown Kansas City this afternoon. At its peak there were approximately three hundred to three hundred fifty people participating in the rally and march.

“Stop Legalized Bribery In Politics”

Location, location, location…

“Class War? Hell Yes And We’ve Been Losing”

The crowd in Ilus Davis Park, in the section overlooked by the federal court building.

Organized labor is part of the ninety-nine percent.

The sprinklers were running in the park – go figure.

“Fire The Rich”

“Average CEO Pay, Average Worker Pay”

“The 99% Are Seeing Red”

As the rally progressed the number of people in the park increased.

Signing up.

The march started from the northeast corner of the park. Occupy Kansas City had a permit from the city to march in the street, but apparently the Kansas City Police department vetoed that idea. Marchers were warned by Occupy Kansas City that the police could arrest anyone marching in the street. Most of the marchers took to the street.

In the street.

“Capitalism Is The Crisis”

A number of police cars, with lights and sirens, appeared shortly after the march turned east. After a few minutes the officers gave up on trying to get the marchers out of the street. They left as quickly as they appeared.

The Kansas City Police Department shows up.

So much for the conventional wisdom about the demographics.

“We Are One”

“We Are the 99%”

Flags.

The march headed out of the park into northeast neighborhoods and arrived back at the park approximately an hour and a half after it started.

Previously:

The Occupation of Kansas City: Day 9 (October 8, 2011)

Occupy Kansas City (October 8, 2011)

The picture I didn’t take (October 8, 2011)

Occupy KC, Day Ten: The day the occupation came to me (October 9, 2011)

Occupy Kansas City: a concert, a few speeches, and a march (October 9, 2011)

A few more photos from yesterday’s Occupy Kansas City rally and march:

People were using the solar charger (bottom, right) for their cell phones and cameras.

There were a number of Guy Fawkes masks and references to the movie V for Vendetta.

Crooks in pinstripes.

Marching out from Penn Valley Park.

Remaining silent isn’t an option.

On Broadway.

“Wall Street stole my retirement fund…”

Obviously didn’t mind waiting in traffic.

On Broadway. “Here is the outrage! Where is the justice?!”

Previously:

The Occupation of Kansas City: Day 9 (October 8, 2011)

Occupy Kansas City (October 8, 2011)

The picture I didn’t take (October 8, 2011)

Occupy KC, Day Ten: The day the occupation came to me (October 9, 2011)

Occupy Kansas City started out the day in Penn Valley Park, across from the Federal Reserve Bank, with music and a few speeches and continued with a march down Broadway to the Plaza. Approximately five hundred people participated in the march.

Approximately five hundred individuals with Occupy Kansas City marched south on Broadway toward the Plaza.

The band set up in front of John Salvest’s “temporary public monument” IOU/USA.

About an hour before the march started I was standing toward the back of the crowd engaged in a conversation with a print reporter (not working this story and on his own time). A young man, probably high school age, approached us with a pen and notebook and started asking me questions. He had seen my credentials. He explained that he had been involved in the protest via Twitter and had decided that he wanted to report on the story. I asked him if he had a blog. He told me he started one this morning. He handed me his video camera and asked me if I could tell if it needed a charge. He had just checked it out from his school. I couldn’t help him. After the nice young man left to charge his camera the print reporter and I commented on the various ironies of this new continuum. We’re moving up the food chain.

Listening to the music in Penn Valley Park before the start of the march.

Contrary to the sniffing of the pundit class, the Occupy folks had their act together when it came to the logistics for dealing with a larger crowd:

Hotflash, this picture is for you.

The water station.

Staffed by a volunteer nurse.

There were a number of Guy Fawkes masks. Doesn’t some corporation own that trademark?

Nope, no DFHs here.

Throughout the afternoon there were small groups of individuals, sometimes from different backgrounds, sharing their views on a number of political subjects:

Painting a sign before the march.

A common refrain throughout the afternoon.

Access to education was another common refrain.

Working people.

The marchers line up to leave Penn Valley Park.

Marching up the hill past the Federal Reserve Bank complex.

At one point in the march I was on the west side of Broadway photographing the crowd as they marched south on the east side of the street. An individual from old media, seeing my credentials, said, as he was setting up his equipment, “Half these fuckers don’t even pay taxes.” As if that individual is in the top one percent? Right. Corporate propaganda certainly has reach. I didn’t reply and I continued walking south.

Filming b-roll for the evening news?

Taxpayers marching.

Even more taxpayers marching, at Broadway and Armour.

Working people.

Crossing Broadway, stopping traffic.

The vast majority of the marchers were well disciplined and stayed on the sidewalks except when crossing at intersections or to cross the street.

A few youngsters in the street.

As the march proceeded down Broadway people stepped outside of businesses, restaurants and bars to watch and take pictures with their cell phones. Some asked questions as we passed. “What’s this about?” “Occupy Wall Street.” “Yeah, I heard about that.” Drivers of passing cars sounded their horns and some waved in support of the marchers.

A peace sign from an apartment balcony.

Approaching the Plaza.

Throughout the march there were individuals passing out leaflets to bystanders and to passengers in cars stopped at traffic lights.

Leafleting on 47th Street, heading into the Plaza. His sign reads, “One day the poor will have nothing to eat but the rich.”