One year ago, the first Occupiers set up camp in Zucotti Park in New York City to protest the greed of "the 1 percent," beginning a movement that quickly led to months-long encampments in major cities across the country and brought attention to issues like homelessness and the growing income disparity. Members of Occupy Providence honored the movement's inception with a rally beginning Sunday and lasting through Monday on the sidewalk in front of the State House.
Protesters also rallied in support of the teachers' union strike in Chicago and spoke out about local education issues. The rally included discussions of the movement's future, teach-ins about nonviolence and a march to the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education's office, where members protested recent decisions to fund corporate-run charter schools and diminish funding for the Department of Labor and Training.
"A lot of media portrayal of the Occupy movement is that it's a dead movement, but there are still lots of passionate people dedicated to fighting for the same issues that we've been fighting for since a year ago," said Jim Daly, an event organizer.
Members of Occupy Providence have been focusing on several specific subjects at rallies to show "how national issues hit home locally," Daly said, adding that he sees many parallels between the problems the teachers in Chicago are dealing with and those that Providence teachers will face with budget cuts to the Department of Labor and Training. He said he hopes the rally not only demonstrated the movement's support for Chicago teachers, but also their concern for the welfare of local teachers.
"We've seen nothing but support so far," said Terry Cummings, a member of Occupy Providence. Approximately 15 members attended Sunday's rally. Several people stopped by to discuss the issues with the Occupiers, and even more people yelled supportive exclamations out of car windows, Cummings said. The police asked them to move once, but were very cordial, he added.
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