http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/15/world/occupy-goes-global/index.html?hpt=hp_t1
Occupy protests spread to cities around the world
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Occupy protests spread to cities around the world - CNN.com
By Faith Karimi and Joe Sterling , CNN
2011-10-15T05:55:18Z
Are you attending or covering the protests? Send us your photos and videos.
(CNN) -- Thousands of people across the world railed against corporate power,
grinding poverty and government cuts Saturday as the Occupy Wall Street
movement spread to the streets of Europe, Asia and Australia -- and took a
particularly violent turn in Rome.
Firefighters battled a blaze at an Interior Ministry building near Porta San
Giovanni in Rome, the main gathering site of the Italian protesters taking part
in the Occupy movement Saturday, said eyewitnesses who reported seeing a
Molotov cocktail thrown near the building.
Police said hundreds of anarchists in Rome moved in where peaceful
demonstrators had gathered as part of the global Occupy movement.
"It's been completely hijacked by these violent factions, and the police are
nervous, and the situation is very tense," Barbie Nadeau, a Newsweek
correspondent, told CNN. "I myself saw at least -- I would say -- a dozen
people who probably needed some hospitalization or some care -- some stitches
certainly."
Two police officers were seriously injured and two young men lost parts of
their hands in explosions when protesters torched cars, she said.
In London, protester Peter Vaughn, reflecting the mood of many in the crowd
there, said people criticized financial institutions that have "gambled away
our money."
"We're giving people a real voice against a government that just ignored us,"
he said.
One protester in Belleville, France, referring to the country's leaders, said
government isn't listening to the people and dialogue with them is impossible.
"You are not listening to us, whatever we do, however we vote, however we
demonstrate. It does not give any result. Quite the opposite, as poverty and
austerity plans continue. So we can't go on like this so we are getting out and
showing ourselves," he said.
United for Global Change -- the central site for the movement organizing
worldwide protests -- said 951 cities in 82 countries were to take part in the
demonstrations after online organizers called for a worldwide rally.
Europeans turned out amid debt troubles and austerity plans in Greece, Belgium,
Italy, Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Germany. One of the largest gatherings
Saturday was in Madrid.
Protesters marched, listened to speeches, and displayed banners reading
anti-corporate slogans, including the now ubiquitous "we are the 99%," "Banks
are cancer" and tax the rich 1%."
The vandalism that erupted in Rome angered peaceful protesters. There were car
fires and masked people breaking windows at banks and stores, where many
thousands faced a large police presence. Firefighters were working to contain
the blaze and the tensions calmed down in the evening hours. But the echo of
Molotov cocktails could be heard and a lingering cloud of black smoke could be
seen, Nadeau told CNN.
In Germany, police used pepper spray on two protesters who crossed beyond
police lines.
Still, the demonstrations across the world were peaceful overall, inspired by
the protests in the United States. In London, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange
spoke to demonstrators. The demonstrations are contained to an area in front of
St. Paul's Cathedral. There have also been three arrests, two for assault on
police.
"What is happening here today is a culmination of greed that many people all
over the world have worked towards from Cairo to London," Assange said.
Tens of thousands demonstrated in German cities, witnesses said. Peaceful
protests with a festive atmosphere blended with a mood of anger toward big
business, where demonstrators carried signs saying "Goldman Sucks," "Eat Cash,"
"People should not be afraid of their government," and "The government should
be afraid of their people."
"They are stealing our rights," one banner read at a demonstration of several
thousand people in Madrid.
Canadians turned out in Toronto, with placards jutting up from a crowd saying
"Arrest the 1%" and "Stop ignoring the youth, we are your tomorrow." A sign on
a dog said "99% against (corporate) fat cats."
Retired businessman Wong Chi Keung, in Hong Kong, said, "We should not let the
banks get away with being big bullies."
Debbie Chen works for a group protesting against Apple's treatment of its
workers in China.
"As the world's most valuable company they earn the lion's share while the
workers on the production line earn only 1% of the selling price of an iPhone.
We hope there can be more even distribution of profits," she said.
About 200 people marched through Tokyo carrying various signs, including "No
More Nukes and "Free Tibet." The crowd included children jumping and skipping
behind the adults. Some protesters wore costumes -- including a giant panda.
"I'm here because young Japanese people are suffering for losing their jobs,
but not many speak out their issue to the public," said Kesao Murakami. "I
really want young people to appeal forcefully to the public saying, 'We are in
trouble.' "
In the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, about two dozen people -- some wearing
masks -- gathered near the U.S. Embassy.
"We wanted to show that the American regime, its system of imperialism needs to
be destroyed," said Rudi Daman, leader of the International League of Peoples'
Struggle.
The group urged its chapters to stage a global day of action against
"imperialist plunder, repression and war."
Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney joined rallies against "corporate
greed" as protesters aligned themselves with the global movement.
"Our protests are to show our solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and also
protest various problems -- from indigenous issues in this country to
government problems," said Alex Gard, one of the Melbourne organizers. "We know
we have it better than the protesters in the States ... but there are still
problems in this country."
Organizers urged protesters to bring sleeping bags and other soft items to
sleep on.
"I've heard people say they plan to be there for days, even months," Gard said.
Organizers worldwide started social media pages on Facebook and Twitter devoted
to "October 15" #O15 on Twitter urging protesters to join the global call
for protests.
The worldwide movement is galvanized by the Occupy Wall Street movement started
last month as a backlash against the economy and what demonstrators say is an
out-of-touch corporate, financial and political elite.
Occupy Wall Street organizers say they are inspired by the Arab Spring that led
to the toppling of regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.
The founding movement in the United States has spread to other major cities in
the nation.
© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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