Across the country, angry protestors have been camping out on streets to send a message to America. Participants in the Occupy Wall Street movement have braved the cold and endured alleged abuse by police officers. According to Kim Bays, a participant in both Occupy San Diego and Occupy North County demonstrations, demands won’t be issued until everyone in the movement can come to a consensus about what they want from the government.
At 1 p.m. on Oct. 15 the movement hit Encinitas. Armed with my notebook and pink digital camera, I approached the crowd of people carrying signs, sporting American flag attire, and flashing peace signs assembled on the corner of Encinitas Boulevard and Highway 101. They marched and chanted, “The banks got bailed out, we got sold out!” and “We are the 99 percent.”
Protestors expressed their opinions in a myriad of ways including peace sign accessories, sparkly starred and striped top hats, and impromptu bongo serenades. One man in a hockey mask and aviator sunglasses waved an American flag. When asked about what his ensemble meant in relation to the cause he replied, “What’s the cause? I’m just out for a walk.”
As I made my way through the crowd, I expected to come across angry, hemp-clad college kids and maybe even some SDA students. Instead, I was greeted by smiling senior citizens reminiscing about the 1960s. Eagerly, I told them about my quixotic notions of the protests in the 60s.
“You don’t know about how when we protested people threw rocks at our heads,” said Sarito Sun. “I marched in Chicago in ’64. I walked with Martin Luther King [Jr.], and Jesse Jackson. Over the past century a few people have taken control of the financial system, the government, the military, the food supply, and health care. Violence is part of their lifestyle. We want peace.” Sun described the beauty of meditation and how being spiritually conscience will change the world. When I thanked her and attempted to shake her hand, she pulled me into a loving, bone-crushing bear hug and rewarded me with a happy face flower sticker.
Others who had participated in 1960s protests shared Sun’s optimism. Charles Lawrence of Encinitas said, “We’re not protesting, we’re demonstrating. I hope to bring peace to the United States within two weeks. We stopped the war in Vietnam in three days.” While some of the younger participants in the movement referred to these people as “old hippies” who “smell kind of bad,” I was surprised and refreshed by their optimism about our country’s situation.
As it neared two o’clock, the shouting increased and lines formed. They marched up and down Highway 101 with posters reading, “Kiss My Class,” and “This Ain’t No Tea Party.” One particularly patriotic dog wore a sign that said, “Bark if you pay taxes.”
The Occupy North County movement was intended to be a serious event to show the government that the American people are angry, but the march, with its clever signs and creative costumes, was reminiscent of Encinitas’s annual Holiday Parade. The community got together and started talking, creating a sense of unity and fun.
Police officers watched the demonstration, but they had just as much fun as everyone else in attendance, joking with each other and teasing me for attempting to find a dark side to this event. According to one officer who refused to reveal his identity, “The crowd’s between forty and fifty years old, they’re not affecting traffic or businesses. It’s a pretty calm event.”
Some were angry and had legitimate reasons including “corporate welfare” and losing the social security they had “contributed to [their] whole lives.” Unfortunately, because there are so many different reasons that people are protesting, it’ll take a while to come to a consensus and submit those demands the public has been waiting for.
