On any given night there are about 10 people sleeping over on any given night in Perseverance Park, the plaza in front of the Chase Bank offices on Clinton Ave in Syracuse, New York. They’re taking part in the Occupy Syracuse protest, an ongoing political demonstration inspired by Occupy Wall Street.
Unlike the situation in many other cities, where police are engaging in violent attacks against occupation protests, the Occupy Syracuse protesters are maintaining a positive relationship with their city’s law enforcement. When I visited the protest yesterday afternoon, one of the occupiers pointed out a single police car parked across the street. The protesters are bringing coffee and doughnuts to the officers in the car every now and then, and the police are helping the protesters stay safe, protected from people who threaten the encampment.
The Occupy Syracuse protesters are also doing their best to maintain healthy relationships with local businesses. This afternoon at 2:00, the group is having its first small business outreach event.
The goals of the occupation protest in Syracuse seem to be the same as in the occupation movement elsewhere across the U.S.A. They’re focused primarily on economic justice. One of the Occupy Syracuse protesters explained to me, “We’re trying to make this an equal society. You know, the wealth distribution is ridiculous in this country. We’re all suffering down here, and no one seems to care. The budget cuts we have had to pay so that the banks can be bailed out. It’s not right.”
A manifesto hanging from one of the Occupy Syracuse tents reads: “We are the 99 percent. We are getting kicked out of our homes. We are forced to choose between groceries and rent. We are denied quality medical care. We are suffering from environmental pollution. We are working long hours for little pay and no rights, if we are working at all. We are getting nothing while the other 1 percent is getting everything.”
In spite of the colder temperatures coming as November approaches, Occupy Syracuse seems to be in it for the long haul. The same spirit is prevailing in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where snow is already coating the ground. Instead of abandoning the protest, Occupy Scranton is now building snow shelters. The memo from Occupy Scranton this afternoon reads, “Time for the igloo committee to start! we now can make walls to protect us from wind.”
