Occupy Wall Street culminates into action Oct 15

PanARMENIAN.Net - Thousands of anti-capitalist protesters returned to New York's Times Square on Saturday, Oct 15, buoyed by a global day of demonstrations in support of their month-long campaign against corporate greed.

In Chicago, more than 2,000 people marched from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to Grant Park before setting up tents. Police said they arrested more than 200 protesters who refused to leave this morning.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has been gathering steam over the past month, culminating with the global day of action yesterday.

Inspired by the grass-roots movement and Spain's "Indignants", protests started in Asia and Europe and rippled around to the US and Canada. The protests worldwide were mostly peaceful apart from Rome, where the demonstration sparked riots.

Protesters in London were continuing their demonstration through the night after thousands descended on the area around the London Stock Exchange yesterday. As night fell protesters had pitched tents at the foot of the steps of St Paul's Cathedral after police cordoned off Paternoster Square, where the Stock Exchange is located.

Well-known activists including Julian Assange and Peter Tatchell were among the protesters in London yesterday. Mr Assange, creator of the WikiLeaks website, addressed the crowds on the steps of St Paul's.

More than 100 demonstrators turned out to protest in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, while hundreds also took to the streets of Dublin.

In Italy however, police fired tear gas and water cannons as protesters turned the demonstration against corporate greed into a riot, smashing shop and bank windows, torching cars and hurling bottles. Police in riot gear charged the protesters and fired water cannons at them. Several police officers and protesters were injured, including one man trying to stop protesters from throwing bottles, The Telegraph reported.