Occupy Wall Street is getting bigger

October 11, 2011 - Democracy Now reports on Occupy Wall Street's expansion regarding the number of participants and the space.

Occupy Boston was evicted, after a demonstration of several thousands of protesters. In Chicago thousands took to the streets as well, in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street. Among them was the Chicago Teachers Union. In Washington, D.C., the occupation of Freedom Plaza near the White House continues.

An activist in New York says that the process is the most important: "It was always understood that the process was going to rule. The process of building consensus." There is a general assembly every day at 7 p.m. with decisions on the next steps. Decisions are made in consensus and without voting.

Amy Goodman interviews, among others, a representative of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Stephan Said who says that the movement that shows up in Occupy Wall Street has been building since the late 1990s on the consensus that we need a systemic change of the global economy. Dr. Gabor Maté talks about the existing economic system that creates stress and makes people sick. (50 percent of adults in the US have a chronic medical illness.) Parents who are stressed are not as connected to their kids. So the protest is also in the interest of children.

Further interview partners: a journalist from Spain who wants to inform the Occupy activists about mistakes made by the movement in Spain; and a Wall Steet banker who thinks the whole system needs to be improved.

The Occupy activists prepare food for 500 people, they have built a grey water system for their wastewater and they have a compost.