175 of Occupy Chicago protesters have been arrested last night in a downtown plaza where some had set up tents and sleeping bags in a protest inspired by the New York Occupy Wall Street movement.
More than 2,000 people protested in a march from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to Grant Park, which had been the site of anti-war protests during the 1968 Democratic convention.
According to the police, 175 Occupy Chicago protesters were arrested last night for allegedly violating a city ordinance by being in the park after it closed and ignoring repeated warnings from police to leave.
Occupy Chicago protest was part of a global day of demonstrations, which started Saturday in Asia and Europe and rippled around to the United States and Canada.
In US, protests were held in dozens of cities including Washington, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami.
The Occupy movement demonstrations worldwide were mostly peaceful apart from Rome, where the demonstration sparked riots.
It is not clear for the moment whether Occupy movement, which has been driven using social media, would sustain momentum beyond Saturday.
According to critics, Occupy movement has not a clear message.
It was reported that the Occupy Wall Street organizers have amassed a $230,000 war chest and a warehouse full of supplies to take their campaign through the winter.
According to New York Post, the Occupy Wall Street chief finance officer, Victoria Sobel, a 21-year-old arts student, has been calling meetings of the movement to decide how to spend the vast sums of cash.
It was also reported that expenditure above $100 requires a vote by the daily “general assembly” of protesters.
New York Observer reported that about $75,000 of the funds has come from buckets left in Zuccotti Park since the occupation began on September 17.
Donated goods have filled the local UPS store on Fulton Street, where people have been sending boxes containing jars of peanut butter, boxes of cereal, tampons, soap, batteries, energy bars and supplies for the winter, including sweatshirts and blankets.
Occupy Wall Street demonstrators say they are upset that the billions of dollars in bank bailouts doled out during the recession allowed banks to resume earning huge profits while average Americans have had no relief from high unemployment and job insecurity.
The Occupy protesters also believe the richest 1% of Americans do not pay their fair share in taxes and want a more equitable economic system.
Occupy Chicago group had protested outside the Fed building for 23 days prior to relocating on Saturday.
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