This past Saturday night, Atlanta turned into Oakland as protesters marching on Peachtree Street outside the newly renamed Troy Davis Park confronted baton-armed police on motorcycle and horseback. Of the nineteen occupiers arrested that night, two were injured and one was charged with felony assault. This was the second set of arrests since protesters occupied the patch of land in downtown Atlanta formerly known as Woodruff Park over a month ago. On October 25, less than three weeks into the occupation, Mayor Kasim Reed revoked his executive order that allowed the protesters to stay in the park overnight and law enforcement kicked the campers out, arresting fift-two in the process.
Since then, protesters have repeatedly tried to reoccupy the park peacefully. Occupy Atlanta has set up a special account for bailing out those who are arrested. The General Assembly meets daily in the park and 100 to 150 people regularly turn out for marches and seminars. But constant police harassment has made it difficult for the group to focus on several important issues, says Chris Seidl, a graduate student and member of the occupation’s Radical Caucus.
Despite that, “morale is pretty good,” says Diana Eidson, a PhD student who was arrested Saturday. “I think if we had greater numbers, it would be even better. The way we look at it, though, we are fighting for those who cannot or will not fight for themselves.”
Check out the previous slide show for a picture of where the movement was last month, and read more Occupy Wall Street coverage on The Nation’s special section front.
—Jin Zhao
Credit: AP Images
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