99% by Shani O. Hilton
We are under way in Freedom plaza the weather was perfect and the police were cooperative all else remains an unknown. The crowds were large diverse and expectant, all are waiting for something. They are as diverse as a crowd can be yet they are united in the knowledge that something is very wrong in America.
They're environmentalists and anti war activists, some are frivolous and some are somber. A young woman danced as if in a trance with a hoop while a mother carried a sign through the plaza in memory of her son lost in a pointless enterprise in Afghanistan .
We have come from everywhere and we are one people. We are strong but we are unsure of ourselves. The conversations began as group discussions of whether to sleep in Freedom Plaza which is Federal property or to sleep on the sidewalk which is D.C. city property. I was surprised that this issue even came up, wasn't that the point, to occupy the Plaza?
You cannot camp on Federal property and camping is considered using any structure to sleep. A tent, a sleeping bag or even using a piece of cardboard can be considered camping. City property is more open-minded but should they abandon the park for the sidewalk?
The D.C. police are parked across the street, would they cause trouble on the first night, or will they wait for the park permit expires in three days?



