Washington,December 06: The Occupy Wall Street movement, joined by members of a range of community and labor groups, are taking their grievances to Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
Occupy protesters from across the country, union members, students, and other community activists are planning a day to “Take Back the Capitol,” according to information posted on websites of participating groups.
Protesters from the Occupy movement and other groups are planning to converge on Capitol Hill Tuesday to air their grievances in front of members of Congress.
Members of a broad range of organizations, including unions and community groups, are expected to travel to Washington to take part in an event dubbed “Take Back the People’s House.”
Many of the participants plan to assemble in the morning before marching toward the Capitol, according to information posted on the website of Progressive Maryland, a nonprofit organization that says it works to improve conditions for working families.
After arriving at the Capitol, marchers say they intend to fan out for meetings with representatives and “occupy” Congressional offices until closure. Not all participants have meetings scheduled, so some protests are expected in the area around the Capitol.
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The event takes place after a confrontation Sunday between the police and protesters from Occupy DC in the district’s McPherson Square. Officers forcibly removed several people clinging to a wood structure erected in the square, and a total of 31 people were arrested over the course of the day, the police said.
The Occupy movement started with the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in New York in September and has spread across major cities worldwide as a call to action against what protesters consider the unequal distribution of wealth.
In recent weeks, cities have begun clearing encampments, citing economic, health and public safety concerns.
Beginning at the Lower Senate Park located next to the Capitol, groups of protesters will fan out to congressional offices to “remind members of Congress that the Capitol is the people’s house, and demand that they represent the 99 percent,” according to SEIU.
Some plan to set up tents around the Capitol overnight, and according to Progressive Maryland, the marchers will urge lawmakers to support the extension of unemployment insurance benefits.
The protesters will continue demonstrating throughout the week, including by marching on K Street in a show of protest against the lobbying world and holding a national prayer vigil.
Tuesday’s “Take Back the Capitol” follows on the heels of dozens of arrests at the Occupy D.C. encampment in McPherson Square over the weekend, prompted by protesters refusing to take down the bones of a wooden structure build in the middle of the park.