Financial District In Chaos On 'Occupy Wall Street' Anniversary

By Vera Chinese, Anthony Bartkewicz, New York Daily News

17 September 12

Dozens arrested as OWS celebrates 'S17' by trying to shut down the New York Stock Exchange.

rotesters and cops swarmed the Financial District Monday morning during events marking the one-year anniversary of the "Occupy Wall Street" movement.

Demonstrators had planned to shut down the District by lining the streets around the New York Stock Exchange and then sitting down en masse to create an occupied zone.

But "The People's Wall," as Occupiers called it, fizzled out and protesters took to marching through the streets, chanting slogans and singing "Happy Birthday" to their movement.

Cops threatened to arrest anyone who stepped off the sidewalk, and busted dozens of people - including several reporters, according to witnesses.

A crowd of about 50 barged into the lobby of the JPMorgan Chase building and demanded to speak to bank officials. About eight of them were arrested.

"We're here protesting financial terrorism. The financial mafia," said Yates McKee, 32, as he was loaded into the back of a police van.

The MTA terminated J train service at Fulton St. - one stop before it hits the Financial District - due to the protests, MTA spokesman Kevin ortiz said.

There was a heavy police presence in the area even before the protests were in full swing. Officers erected barricades and demanded ID cards from workers trying to get near the NYSE.

Jami Montano, a homeless 21-year-old, questioned whether so many cops were really necessary.

"It's expensive," she said. "They're spending a lot of money and where is that money coming from?"

Montano said she was taking part in the anniversary actions - dubbed "S17" - "to represent myself because everyone who's trying to represent me is doing a poor job."

"I want people to start questioning the way their government and the way their system is run," she said. "I want them to question their daily lives."

Shiloh Coral, 22, is also homeless as of about two months ago, but the "Occupy" movement has been "the most supportive place."

"When people from the middle class are becoming lower class, and people from the lower class are becoming homeless, no one seems to be gaining anything but the absolute richest," she said.

The anniversary events began Sunday night in Foley Square with a concert featuring Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and the hip-hop group Das Racist.

There was also an "Occupy Rosh Hashanah" service at Zuccotti Park.