They are former students, workers and deprived unemployed workers. They are all ages and from all walks of life. Many people have joined the Occupy movement to protest against the economic hardship they personally are experiencing. Some leave their family, their wife, their husband–some have already lost everything. Others are joining to lend support.
I filmed Occupy activists on November 4, 2011 at a demonstration outside the D.C. Convention Center where the Defending the American Dream Summit was taking place, sponsored by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. This demonstration gave me a great opportunity to meet Kyle (The Wild Child) Szlosek. He is young, intelligent, smart and dedicated to giving everything he has to reaching out to people who do not understand the movement. He grew up in Maine, second of seven children in his family. He had traveled to a number of Occupy sites, including Boston and Wall Street, to speak. Most of his time had been spent in DC.
Two Occupy sites were established in DC last fall, the Freedom Plaza site began October 4 and the site at McPherson Square began in mid-September. On Saturday, February 4, 2012, the U.S. Park Police decided to shut down both camps. Several arrests were reported. According to the Sunday Washington Post, “We’re not looking to kick you out,” Capt. Art Jacobsen told protesters. “We are here to work with you. This shouldn’t be a problem.”
This seemed like an important time to share a brief portion of my interview with Kyle, as he provides great answers to the question frequently asked in the media: What Do Occupiers Want? Click here to watch the entire interview of Kyle.