A crowd of at least 400 – organizers say more than 600 – marched from Tacoma’s Hilltop to downtown Saturday afternoon, in solidarity with the international Occupy Wall Street movement.
The peaceful Occupy Tacoma assembly began in People’s Park on the Hilltop, attracting a diverse group that included business people, teachers, longshoremen, young people with orange hair and older people with gray hair.
Watched by Tacoma police officers, the group made its way to the heart of downtown, stopping at several government offices along the way. Even though those offices were closed Saturday, marchers said they felt it was symbolic to raise their voices there. Protesters said they want government and corporate power brokers – whom they call the “1 percent” – to hear them loud and clear. Their chant: “The banks got bailed out, we got sold out.”
Joy Bonney of Tacoma said the group has a simple goal: to educate and motivate “the 99 percent to hold the 1 percent accountable.”
“We are not anti-capitalist,” said the 27-year-old, who holds down five part-time jobs. “We understand the need for competition in the marketplace. We just think it needs to be better regulated.”
Marchers said they operate mainly by consensus – with help from a website, occupytacoma.org.
The event drew support from the Pierce County Central Labor Council, Tacoma Catholic Worker, the Micah Project of First United Methodist Church and other groups.
Kurt Miller, president of the Tacoma School Board said he attended the march as a private citizen. “I’m concerned about the future of my children, and the children we educate,” he said.
Father Bill Bichsel, a Tacoma Jesuit priest and veteran of protests dating back to the Vietnam War era, said he joined the march to stand for the principles of compassion and nonviolence, even as “we are still living in a war economy.”
Matt Patera, who lives near Federal Way, stood out among the casually clad marchers. He wore a suit, and carried a sign that read “The End is Here” and “Ethics in Business?” He said he feels fortunate to have a well-paying job in the health care field. But he said he feels empathy for people who don’t have jobs – or health insurance.
Cat Jeter of Fircrest, an accountant laid off from her job, said she was concerned about business profits.
“Profits benefit an extremely small sliver of society,” she said. “It’s not sustainable.”
Ashley Mimura of Tacoma pulled her two daughters in a wagon. Both girls carried signs saying, “I deserve a future.”
Saturday after dark, several dozen Occupy Tacoma participants remained at a small park downtown, next to the Washington State History Museum. They said their plan was to occupy the park “indefinitely.” They also promised an ongoing presence in Tacoma, including upcoming protests in the Hilltop and Lincoln neighborhoods.
About 3,000 people crammed into Seattle’s Westlake Park on Saturday before marching to the city’s Pike Place Market. Protests also took place in Olympia, Yakima, Spokane and Vancouver, Wash.
Debbie Cafazzo: 253-597-8635
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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