Occupy Movement Starts Up In Concord

The Occupy Movement, a loosely based collection of protesters trying to raise awareness about income and wealth inequality, along with what it calls the financial corruption on Wall Street and Washington, has arrived in New Hampshire and will be holding a rally at White Park at 2 p.m. on Sunday, according to online posts by activists.

WMUR-TV reported that a general assembly – what the activists are calling their gatherings – was held at Arms Park in Manchester on Oct. 6.

Most of the people in attendance, according to the report, were frustrated that the government was not working for the interests of the people. They also protested the lack of affordable health care and that corporate tax rates that they deemed too low.

An Occupy New Hampshire Facebook page, which was started on Sept. 28, in solidarity with actions across the country, has more than 600 likes. An Occupy Concord Facebook page, with 39 likes, was started on Oct. 3.

For the Manchester assembly, the group requested "credible speakers (or at least speakers who can cite credible information)" on the following issues:

• "Our government's long history of corruption, including the development of Public Relations, misinformation and how the prohibition really went down.
• How big money infiltrates our government from campaigns to contributions to legislation.
• How the Federal Reserve and debt-based currency has worked since its institution in 1913, and the banker's long battle in trying to get such a system.
• How the stock market works, including most especially its originating purpose, short selling, and derivatives.
• Why the original settlers left their homelands, including taxation without representation, ability to vote based on land ownership status and the like.
• How GDP and global economics work, what they really measure, and what an economy is intended to do.
• What really motivates man kind, and how the current system affects our sanity, critical thinking and habits.
• Nonviolent protest tactics - what they are and why they work."

According to WMUR-TV, the attendees were a mix of progressive and Tea Party activists. Commenters online to the Facebook sites note that they want to keep partisan politics away from their movement effort and instead, focus on the financial issues.