'We Are The 99 Percent'

As the continues to expand with no end in sight, the list of occupied towns - big and small - continues to grow exponentially.  As of Thursday night, you can add to that list.

A total of roughly 24 protestors set up shop at the on Main Street, carrying signs expressing their discontent and chanting familiar slogans towards residents as they drove by.

"The protests have already made a difference," said Jeannette McGinley, who helped organize the occupation.  "Everybody knows what the word 'Occupy' means. Good or bad, they know."

McGinley said she received an email two days prior to the protest, stating that there was no one to coordinate the Lansdale extension of the movement.

"After the first email, I received another email asking if I could please coordinate something for the two-month anniversary of the Occupy movement," said McGinley.

The group decided against setting up tents and camping out, instead choosing to build their numbers by protesting each night at 5:30 p.m. for the next five days.

"I believe it will pick up," said McGinley. "At that point, the protest will continue indefinitely."

The national movement has come under increasing scrutiny by citizens who view the protests as nothing more than a disjointed group that lacks leadership and clear goals. 

Additionally, repeated violent clashes with police and sanitation issues have left a negative mark on the movement as of late.

But the Lansdale occupiers stated prior to the protest that they have shared goals, and they would abide by the laws of the borough.

According to Carol Levy, the two main goals of their protest are to end tax breaks for the wealthy and put an end to corporate citizenship.

"The tax cuts for the wealthy are costing us $11.6 million an hour since 2001," said Levy, who also attended Occupy Philadelphia three times.  "It's unbelievable, yet no jobs have been created.  (Speaker of the House of Representatives) Mr. (John) Boehner keeps saying that keeping the tax cuts in place will create jobs, but that's hardly the case."

Despite singling out the house majority leader, Levy cautions that the movement has no interest in party affiliation.

"This is not a partisan issue,"  said Levy.  "It's not even a political issue.  It's about the growing disparity between the one percent and the rest of the country."

Levy stated she decided to join the protests after her attempts to contact her congressional representative – along with other prominent government officials – had resulted in failure.

"My hope would be that we would never have to take to the streets, and our representatives would represent us," said Levy.  "Once the courts recognized corporations as people, the electoral process was not only beholden to corporations, but foreign corporations as well."

"We, the people, have gotten lost in the equation," added Levy.  "We may get to pull the levers, but at the end of the day it's all about the corporations."