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Washington, DC. Tuesday, January 17, 2012
8:30 am. Occupiers rarely keep timetables. They also do not have alarm clocks. This morning it is raining and in the 40s and very gray.
Occupiers are not morning people.
The occupiers of McPherson Park awoke to the mic check of, "Wake up, wake up, or you'll miss the revolution!"
True to this McPherson Park camp style, 40 or so occupiers set off for their first round of the day at Washington's other camp, Freedom Plaza at 8:50 sharp. With promises from the remaining crowd to be there shortly, these protesters left to the shouts of sleepy encouragement.
By 10:30 almost all occupiers had left for the protest.
The Freedom Plaza Occupy Camp was a hive of activity. It is much closer to the capital then McPherson Park, and is in the business district of DC. The camp's occupiers had already been joined by quite a few other protesters who had begun to congregate in preparation for the 10 o'clock departure for the West Lawn of the Capitol building.
As the McPherson camp arrived there were handshakes, hugs and rousing shouts of greeting: many from the two camps are fast friends already.
Excitement is in the air.
The crowd began the slow descent down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Capitol building. The West Lawn was ahead, directly below the Capitol Dome.
The medical table and aid stations came into view surrounded by a temporary fence. Capitol police were taking no chances today. These cops are used to protests. They tend to be very professional, some quite courteous but protests here in DC are done their way. So the West lawn had a temporary fence and one officer every 15 to 20 feet around the circumference of the lawn.
The next call to order was for a GAA at 2 pm.
As the occupiers from the two camps entered, those already inside numbered about 1000. Most were at the top of the lawn near the Capitol steps which was also fenced off.
The occupiers are not pleased when they see the fences. Access to the Capitol is generally by recommendation of the district Congressmen, but the steps have always been a public area.
Many derogatory, accusatory, humorous and witty remarks are hurled at the cops in front of the steps. They don't take offense.
The rest of the crowd spreads out across the lawn. They congregate near a small stage towards the bottom of the lawn. The crowd has grown to about 2000.
At around 2 pm the prelude to Occupy Congress begins with another mic check.
