Who Is Occupying Boston? Part One

While walking by downtown Boston's Purchase Street towards the towering Financial District, it's impossible to miss the cluster of pop-up tents and protest signs being monitored by BPD officers.

Occupy Boston set up camp in Dewey Square during the final days of September in response to Occupy Wall Street, the ongoing political protest in New York City. 

Living in the camped out community appears less than glamorous, especially as temperature's drop and more people try to find an open space to claim on the crowded block. Tents of all shapes and sizes are draped with tarps for extra shelter from the relentless Boston wind.

Though the movement started as a protest against taxation for the rich and corporate America, it seems that Occupy Boston has become a stage for all humanitarian causes. Signs are posted for food and clothing donations as well as awareness for child hunger.

Observing the protest grounds made clear to me that a lot of people are there to hang out and be part of something. As hard as some protestors try to keep the movement completely sober, some people are really there to party.

A 24-year-old protestor who goes by the alias "Leo" let me in on how life in Dewey Square has been for him. Leo is originally from Nicaragua and currently works as a sous chef in a popular downtown restaurant. He had heard of Occupy Boston the day it was born on the Boston Commons but he found that no one he asked actually knew what the protest was about.  He was turned off from the movement at first because the blatant lack of knowledge and purpose made him ask himself, "What are they fighting for?" That day Leo decided to go to Dewey Square to try to learn what the movement began as. Since then, Leo has moved into a tent with several other protestors and now considers himself an advocate in the movement. 

People driving by the protest are not shy when it comes to stating their opinion. Those who support the movement beep their horns, wave, and shout words of encouragement. However, not every passerby agrees with the protestors' motives. It isn't uncommon to hear jeers such as, "Get a job" and "You aren't going to change anything."

Official webpages of the protests:

Occupy Boston

Occupy Wall Street

Read more about my interviews with a few protestors, coming soon!