VERO BEACH – The Occupy Wall Street movement that has been expanding to cities around the country is coming to Vero Beach Saturday morning.
Occupy Vero Beach will be held at 9 a.m. at the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber is located at 1216 21st St., Vero Beach.
The movement, which began earlier this year and was inspired by the grassroots uprisings of mostly young people in the Middle East, started with a Canadian activist group called Adbusters. The goal initially was to protest corporate influence on democracy, the growing disparity in wealth and the absence of repurcussions behind the recent global financial crisis.
On Sept. 17, a group of protesters assembled in New York City and took up residence in a park near Wall Street. The demonstrations continued, grew and spread througout the nation. By the first week in October, groups in 70 cities had planned solidarity events.
At first the protesters were mostly young people, but the event has attracted a growing number of people across all demographic groups. The Vero Beach event is being organized by a handful of young people who are spreading the word through social media.
Characteristic of the “Occupy” demonstrations is the carrying of signs depicting personal stories, concluding with “I am the 99 percent,” referring to what protesters deem to be the undo influence wielded by the 1 percent of the wealthiest Americans.
The Vero Beach event is one of about 20 being held in Florida, with other cities including Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Palm Beach, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Cocoa, Daytona Beach, Lake Worth, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Miami.
For more information about Occupy Vero Beach, visit http://www.OccupyVeroBeach.org.