photos/captions_andrew pugliese
words_devin cordero

December 18, 2011

These photos were taken during two trips to the Occupy Miami encampment outside of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center in downtown Miami on 5th & 17th of November.  The protest joined nationwide action that began in mid-September 2011 with the christening of the movement by Canadian anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters and the adoption of the #OccupyWallStreet hashtag on twitter, a development pushed in no small part by the shadowy online hacking collective known as ‘Anonymous‘.  United under the motto of ‘We are the 99%!‘, the occupiers protest the decades-long trend of growing income inequality in America and across the globe, and they blame the financial industry’s influence in American politics for policies that have favored the growth of income for the top 1% of earners while leaving everyone else behind.

According to Meetup.com, a tool commonly used by Occupy protest organizers, since the establishment of the original encampment at Zucotti Park in lower Manhattan’s financial district, the movement has spread to more than 2,500 cities in every inhabited continent.  Although in recent weeks American police have begun to lose their patience for the indefinite occupation of spaces that are meant for use by the rest of the public, protests are ongoing, and the movement’s top organizers remain active.

To see more shots from Andrew’s coverage of the protest, you can check out his Occupy Miami Flickr set here.

1. Idea Pot – The “idea pot” at Occupy Miami seen at the front of the camp. When you first see the movement there are signs littered everywhere, the “idea pot” is just a formal way of putting in what should be done around or what can be done to make the movement stronger. They have no leader though, as they feel it would only hurt them in the end the way our leaders today have hurt us.

2. Perp Walk – Seen at the front of the Occupy camp, this sign was one of the best. Many of the Occupier talked about it being more than a movement but a revolution- a time when they can change the future… forever.

3. The Kitchen – The “kitchen” at Occupy Miami. They cook for everyone in the camp. I found it to have a home vibe to it. Just as you would at home, everyone slowly gravitates towards the kitchen to ask whats for dinner and to steal a bit of food before dinner.

4. The Old Hippie – An old hippie named Karen sits outside the Occupy Miami camp. She was a protester in Vietnam, participated in Woodstock, and has a number of other stories she just loved to tell. She wanted to see the Occupy movement herself, but said it was nothing like what she had to go through in her days when protesting. She laughed at the mere mention of calling themselves protesters as she sees them going through no real hardships. However, she totally respects the cause and definitely supported the Occupiers themselves.

5. Michelle – Michelle, a young 24 year old Occupier from Miami, Florida. She does not live at the camps as she has a young child. However, Michelle “occupies” because she wants a better future for her daughter.