Day Two of Occupy Utica. Protesters Hope for a Bigger Crowd
By: Jennifer Lee
Updated: October 14, 2011
It's day two of Occupy Utica and protesters are still out at Liberty Bell Corner in Downtown Utica. Some demonstrators even camped out and spent the night in tents.
Protesters say there was a big turnout last night. They say around 400 people showed up. They hope that number will grow even bigger.
Despite the rainy weather, demonstrators are still coming out and showing their support. It's day two and 20-year-old Adam Hovey says he will be protesting as long as it takes.
"I mean I got to school and people have jobs. So, I know a lot of people are going to be going back and forth. Some nights they won't be here. But, I will be here as often as possible to help out," said Hovey.
He even camped out and spent the night Downtown.
"It's been a pretty warm experience. A lot of people have been nice and courteous and I have been having a lot of fun down here so far. I'm happy to keep doing it," said Hovey.
40-year-old Constance Bowers says Occupy Utica is an event for all ages and backgrounds. Today, she brought along her granddaughter.
"I'm protesting," says the three-year-old.
"I was her age when the protests in Vietnam were going on. I think it's important for her to be out here. I think people need to realize that it's more than just adults. That little girl right there is our future," said Bowers.
Constance is unemployed and says she's been looking for work, in her words, forever. She says it's not any better for her daughter.
"We need jobs. We need money. There's a lot of people without work right now. I have family that lives paycheck to paycheck. It's tough. The economy is tough," explained Bowers.
62-year-old Albert Izzo says music is a powerful protest tool. He says songs from the 60s are relatable to today's issues.
"It's amazing how it reaches people. It's very interesting that those songs are so pertinent to the issues that we are experiencing today. So, not a lot has changed. We need to pay attention to the past to realize that these issues have been around a long time," said Izzo.
Occupy Utica's Facebook page has reached almost 1,000 likes. According to the Facebook group, they hope to get at least 600 protesters to show up tonight.
