VIDEO AND PHOTOS: Saturday's #OccupyBoston march and sit-in at the Federal Reserve

Photos by @LizPelly via bostonphoenix.tumblr.com and by @ArielShearer

In its second weekend, the ranks of #OccupyBoston swelled with students, anarchists, and members of the Iron Workers union for an afternoon of direct action that included a march through downtown Boston and culminated in a voluminous rally at the Federal Reserve, just across the street from Dewey Square. The march on the Fed was big enough that the Occupy folks went live with video. We'll have a more in-depth report soon. For now, here's the relevant 10-minute clip:

UPDATE, 10:30 pm: Turns out we get two new things from #OccupyBoston today: Press releases and singing!

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, October 8, 2011*

Contacts: OccupyBostonMedia@gmail.com
Twitter: @occupyBOS_media

OCCUPY BOSTON MARCHES ON THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK

At 2 pm today more than 700 members of Local 7 Ironworkers, members of Future Labor, families, and concerned citizens joined with members of Occupy Boston in the largest march since the start of the ongoing protest in Dewey Square. Holding signs declaring “WE ARE THE 99%,” the crowd marched across the Boston Common and down Newbury Street before gathering in front of the Federal Reserve building to demand economic reform on Wall Street and the removal of special interests from government.

Outside the Federal Reserve the crowd chanted in unison, “Show me what democracy looks like; this is what democracy looks like.” Police motorcycles and bicycles quickly formed a wall between the protestors and the front of the building. Behind the locked doors to the lobby, a small group of Federal Reserve employees watched the demonstration. The barricade was quickly circumvented by two dozen protestors who crowded the building’s entryway, one scaling a fifteen-foot pillar to brandish a flag.

A father and his young son marched with the crowd, wearing matching, handmade T-shirts reading “99%.” Jose, from Jamaica Plain explained, said, “This is important to me and my son. This is not only for the future of my retirement, but also my son’s future. He needs to know about the effect that Wall Street and the Federal Reserve are having on him every day.”

Protestors discussed whether they would continue their action and risk arrest or whether to return to camp. Using the consensus process from Occupy Boston General Assemblies, the group decided who would stay and who would go. After 45 minutes, the group marched to Haymarket to end the demonstration. No one was arrested.

OCCUPY BOSTON at Dewey Square – occupyboston.com – OccupyBostonMedia@gmail.com