Signs reading “The beginning is here”, “Slavery is illegal”, and “We are the 99%” were held up by the protesters at the October 15 Occupy San Antonio Rally. The large group of people were gathered in front of the Alamo and to most, the gathering appeared to be a celebration with music and a cheerful atmosphere. Finding higher ground, some protesters took turns making speeches on the open-megaphone.
Afterwards, the protesters proceeded to march to the Statue of Christopher Columbus, all the while chanting, “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out”, “The people united will never be divided”, and “Hey-hey, ho-ho corporate greed has got to go”. Each protester let their message known through signs, chants and outfits. Along the way they recruited a woman who had just gotten off of work. The protesters drew in the attention of bystanders watching from the sidewalk. Once they arrived at their destination, they took a few moments to rest and were joined by a group who was marching for the rights of Indigenous People. A few brief speeches were made by both groups before setting off on a march to the court house.
All in all, the rally was very peaceful and organized. It was an inspirational sight to witness people working together to change things for the better. It was also very educational, as many expressed problems relevant to the real people of San Antonio. A woman marching for better health care represented an entire group of people struggling with the same issue. While many people were there for different reasons, the main idea of it all was to put the power back into the people’s hands.
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