Occupy St. Louis Continues Protest

A tent city occupies Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis. Members of Occupy St. Louis, a group that champions individual rights compared to the rights of corporations, have been at the plaza for one week.

The group “proudly stand(s) in solidarity with those whose peaceful Wall Street occupation seeks to expose the greed and avarice that have sold off the ‘American Dream’ in exchange for executive bonuses and political kickbacks,” according to its website.

People from across the region have joined the downtown protest. Kaare Melby, an archeologist from downtown St. Louis, said the occupy movement voices something he’s believed in all his life. He said money is considered speech in the United States, but that fact doesn’t stay true to democracy.

“That just doesn’t work for everyone,” he said.

Saturday morning Melby emceed the general assembly meeting for protesters. He said someone different chairs each meeting.

That spirit of collaborative leadership is at the foundation of Occupy St. Louis. Curtis, a resident of University City who wanted to keep his last name private, said there are people who facilitate the group— but no one is really in charge.

Curtis said the group hasn’t seen a lot of pushback, however during a protest at a financial building they were asked to leave the premises.

Others don’t share Occupy St. Louis’ views, including those driving by Kiener. Saturday morning a man shouted at the protesters, calling them “(expletive deleted) hippies.”

Kurt Oberreither, a student at , said last Wednesday when the Cardinals beat the Phillies, baseball fans weren’t thrilled with the protest. However people seemed to respond better to their effort on Friday.

Melby said the group had no intention of ending the protest as of Saturday.