Occupy Wall Street has been an ongoing news story since September 17.For a month, morning shows have been flashing clips of disillusioned post-grads, the cynical unemployed, and angry hippies gathering with sleeping bags and signs for what appears to be some sort of time-warped, Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test-type gathering. After weeks of procrastinating, I decided it was time to post some coverage of what Occupy Wall Street really looks like. Besides, it might be interesting to see how anti-consumerists are dressing these days...
So armed with nothing more than an aggressive tube of lipstick, stilettos and a camera, I boldly set off to Zuccotti Park to capture the look of the zeitgeist.
Protests attract three types of people – tourists, police officers, and militant activists. And I wasn’t quite sure which group gave me the most anxiety. [Answer: Cops. Lady cops, especially.] But given my strong commitment to solid, investigative journalism [haha], I waited for my third brunch mimosa to kick in and slid to the other side of the barricade.
I found myself walking through a twisted Yippie-esque demonstration circa-1968, except this time the signs had #hashtags and the protesters had iPhones. Costumes, DIY lanyards, and candy-colored locks were the looks du jour. Oh, and remember that thing I said about throwing parties for a cause? Well, these people seem to have it figured out.
So, did I stumble upon any earth-shattering 70s-revival trend that I didn’t already anticipate? No. Did I tell the girl with the guitar that American Apparel is, in fact, a corporation? Of course, not.
But one thing is for certain: London and Paris still have us beat in the “riot” department... C’mon, 99%, step it up.
Post by Amanda LaMela
