WE WERE HOPING FOR PEOPLE WITH JOBS. We weren’t targeting them, or a specific “look” for the not-average protester. It wasn’t a bias, either. Before The Observer and our trusty photographer started out at Zuccotti Park around 5PM last night, we didn’t have a target person in mind to look for so much as a target mosaic. We wanted to continue to help develop a de facto census of who’s going down to Occupy Wall Street.
But we had to hope for people with jobs. Not so much out of political interest, or vested sentiment in what’s been happening in Zuccotti Park, but because it would otherwise be a long, torturous five hours. Five hours, of trying to interview people and ending up on the receiving end of cliched, dreadlocked, meandering bongo drummers’ varying Phish-inflected political manifestos, who have been so reliably portrayed in much of the media recently as the vast majority of those down there.
That would be a long, awful five hours. That is not a plum assignment.
What we found instead was the opposite. Were those people there? Surely. But they were in far lesser numbers than many have been led to believe. And yes, we spoke with protest celebrities, and people who would give cause to the import of cliche.
Yet, more often than not, we found people from all walks: a military veteran, a New Yorker photographer, a media consultant, someone who works on Gossip Girl, someone who’s actually been profiled by the Observer, an architect, a doctor, an aspiring corporate lawyer, a guy who works on a trading desk, and more than a few small business owners, among them. And we didn’t have to look hard: Zuccotti Park gets particularly interesting at night, where people who most definitely have the same obligations that many of us do are choosing to spend their after-work hours there.
Not all of them felt strongly about any particular issue. Most of them didn’t want capitalism to go away. One of them was even patently annoyed at the protest he was attending.
But he was still there. That point, so obvious at face-value, will eventually emerge as crucial to a nuanced understanding of this thing, which it’s impossible not to walk away with after talking to fifty of these people for five hours: strangers making themselves a part of something. If there’s one definitive, common thread we observed, it’s that everyone was glad to be brought together with strangers they’d otherwise never meet, even if it is by a general malaise. It was, cynicism aside, rather incredible to watch. Ideally, the following fifty people will help illuminate Occupy Wall Street’s emerging narrative, or at least the one we found: frustrated strangers, being exceptionally kind to one another.
fkamer@observer.com | @weareyourfek
(All photos by Marielle Solan)
“than many have been lead to believe”—>”than many have been led to believe”. “One of them were even annoyed”—>”One of them was even annoyed”. While I think it’s great that the news is so much more fluid now, the editing of digital content has gotten quite shoddy. You’d never see mistakes like this in The Observer in print.
These people annoy me
dont these people realize that Jerry Garcia died years ago…get a fn job people….or move to Cuba or europe!!!!
She’s cute ! I’ll hire her !
I love the pictures, now the country can see who they are. The fact is mothers, daughters, fathers, and workers people from all walks of life.Great
Dude is wearing a tee-shirt with that twat, Leila Khaled. What an imbecile.
Wow, you guys have really changed your tune. A few weeks ago, this site was full of nothing but hackjob sarcastic dismissive attack pieces belittling the protesters. Better late than never.
with a face like that, now I know why tigers eat their young.
Get a job.
Not sure the reverend is really a reverend, and I’m not sure he’s completely sane – his comments don’t really make sense.
Why are they picking on Wall Street – why not start a protest in Washington, D.C.? That’s where all the bogus lobbying and other ridiculous business goes on. I’d come to that one if I wasn’t busy being a responsible adult and raising our kids!
Why are they picking on Wall Street – why not start a protest in Washington, D.C.? That’s where all the bogus lobbying and other ridiculous business goes on. I’d come to that one if I wasn’t busy being a responsible adult and raising our kids!
The truth is that India is sending in thousands of IT people at 30K or more for 10 months TAX FREE and then they go back home without paying a dime in taxes to this country. How do I know? I refused to be a part of it. Corporate America outsourced call centers to the Phillippines because America complained about the dialect in India. Don’t take my word for it. When you reach a call center, ask if they are in the United States and if they aren’t – demand to talk to someone who is. They will do anything to prevent that from happening. You can also drive by any big corporation at 5 p.m. and watch the resources coming out of the company. Our Congress and Our President is permitting the other countries to come in and take the good jobs away from this country. India recently announced they have a shortage of workers! We have taken them all. That is what we should be fighting to change. WAKE UP AMERICA!
1. Theater production, there to support the kids.
2. Street performer and activist, there to promote his act and be an activist.
3. part time fashion and costume person for television, I have a friend down here, who’s a Traveler, and an amazing musician. I came down here to drop her off; she just happened to be in town as this was happening.
4. an “author”, there because it makes her feel good.
5. Freelance writer, I don’t know if I’m a protester, but I’m definitely a fellow Traveler.
6. College kid
7. 24yr old ex military looks like a coke head, decided to hang out with his friends.
8. Freelance Photographer… I wonder why a freelance photographer would be there…
9. Freelane Web Designer(unemployed. I used that Title before I got a real job too.)
10. Media Strategist for Abrams Research a social media marketing and campaing company.
11. crazy green energy guy.
12. College kid… protesting wallstreet yet wants a job on wall street.
13. “freelance wandering hobo” Moved to NY becausse his elderly dad could not support his ass.
14. Romanian trying to get back to romania apparently anon wrote him a letter inviting him to come have fun.(sounds fishy)
15. Works for a solar energy company, and owns a landscaping business. Wanted to stand in solidarity with everyone(be part of a group). Although she does sound like she may have an actual real reason besides that.(first one)
16. Californian, here for a photography workshop. Came to shoot pictures of kids to make money.
17. Californian, no real reason besides that he has nothing better to do claims to have bail money in his “room yet only worked 5 hours a week as a cook.
18. High school kid… wants to be an actor… apparently has been professionally doing so since she was little.
19. Political and union call center pawn. There so people become more aware…
20. Finance trader, to check it out.
21. Hr for something in the city… there because her friends are there and its fun.
22. DC kid, Intern for Avaaz R&D. Its her job to go there and campaign. Avaaz assaults the web with spam for causes and campaigns.
23. Graphic designer, Went because she was curious.
24. Wannabe writer. Currently a bartender just graduated from NYU.(maybe should have picked a better major.)
25. wannabe tv producer, angry at 40k in loan debt(tiny by todays standards). Went down there to be around people. Anon mask fool.
26. Comedian, most likely collecting material… but says just interested.
27. Works in education and standup comdeian. There because the slogan pulled her in.
28. It guy(hey me too) Wanted to be part of something.
29. Californian, “I’m a freelance sales rep and landlord, and I have two college-educated, underemployed, and practically couch-surfing children. With their two fine educations. ”
30. Kid who works at Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain… No idea why she is down there.
31. Kid, morticians assistant, has lots of friends there.
32. Works at a pharmecy… looks like a socialist(at least like the ones i know)
33. Environmentalist Ioby, Checking it out and supporting the kids.
34. “I manage Tim, this guy. He’s a musician. I came here because I want a freer world, and I want everyone to be free…”
35. Musician(Tim Ryans), The revolution man Then talks about “They have to buy the kids’ books!”
36. Opera Singer, Cant find singing work works for cruise line. Lending support even says there is no consice opinion on anything here in the crowd, just has the time to be there.
37. College kid. Wanted to see it.
38. “I do freelance hair and makeup for film and television. Not in the union yet. Three more months, and I’m in the union.”
39. doctor in his residency in manhatten, lives in the financial district there so most likely just there to check it out.
40. College kid… there to talk about tolstoy, enough said.
41. high school kid. Wants to be a politician…
42. Bike courier. Comfort Work Group, has a black tshirt mask.
43. “I currently work for the Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design, but I’m also an ecological designer and have my own company” He is there to redesign the park i na more ecological friendly way.
44. Unemplyed recent grad with no ambitions other than maybe going back to school. Traveled the country to hang out on who knows dime. Just hanging out.
45. College kid. There to see what other college kids are doing.
46. “I run a social media agency. It’s very new. Thatcher Interactive.” SOCIAL MEDIA AGENCY his new company named after himself… hmm wonder why.
47. Theater teacher, admits to getting the job because she tried to get one.
48. Musician and organizer, He thinks everything… have an opinon he will agree.
49. Homeless outreach for a nonprofit, he is ther ebecause its a great place.
50. College kid wanted to be a protester tried starting her own in Cincinnati but it didn’t work so she came to NYC. Interesting not… Sociology and secuality studies is her major. Oh oh and no ambition to do anything when she gets out of school.
Thats the 50 people.
Reaccuring theme = college kids, no ambition, not there actually for a cause.