WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK — Hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters marched from Zuccotti Park to Washington Square Park and beyond on Tuesday to commemorate the second anniversary of the movement aimed at drawing attention to the issue of income inequality.
“We're here to support the lower class and to show how the rich keeps [SIC] everything for themselves,” self-described free-spirit Lucas Hoffman said. “They look down on us and laugh like we mean nothing."
The group gathered in Zuccotti Park where in Sept. 2011 a tent city sprung up, providing a rallying point for people disenfranchised with the country's economic system.
The movement sparked copycat protests around the world.
The park headquarters was dismantled in Nov. 2011 by the police department on orders from Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
During the 2011 occupation of the park clashes between police and protesters was common, resulting in many arrests.
But there were fewer protesters than previous years, but a number of run-ins with the cops.
Police said that 22 demonstrators were arrested, mostly for disorderly conduct.
The protesters marched up to Washington Square Park where they played music, sung spirituals and held signs like the one that read, "If you don't own a corporation, you're screwed."
The police stood nearby in groups of three or more, but there was little interaction with police.
Some feel that the movement has lost some steam.
“This protest is sad compared to the first protest,” said New York University student Kimberly Miller. “I feel the government is listening but is still not trying to solve the problem.”
Still, others said that people have become more aware and vocal about the issue of income inequality as a result of Occupy Wall Street even if they don't show up to protest.
“Even if people don’t come out, they know about us,” Holly Moore, of New Jersey said. “Every bit of support helps and I know if more people could come out they would.”
Dozens of demonstrators were spotted as far north as 42nd Street Tuesday night and could be seen marching by the central branch of the New York Public Library carrying signs with a police still monitoring the protest.
