Occupy South Bend hits DTSB Saturday

October 07, 2011|By Colleen Ferreira (cferreira@wsbt.com), Click here to follow Colleen on Twitter | By Colleen Ferreira (cferreira@wsbt.com), Click here to follow Colleen on Twitter

SOUTH BEND - From Occupy Wall Street to Washington D.C., Seattle to St. Louis – protesters have bombarded state capitals and city streets every day this week to get their message out: Stop corporate greed.

Occupy South Bend plans to make its mark on the movement Saturday afternoon in Downtown South Bend. They say anywhere from 50 to 400 people could show up in South Bend to support the cause.

But what is this cause they're fighting for?

Occupy Wall Street supporters say it's about stopping financial greed and corrupt politics – but some say this original message is quickly losing its identity.

"Hey hey, ho ho, corporate greed has got to go,” some protesters chanted in Houston, Texas.

"We want our country back. We want our futures back,” said Ryan Kane, a protestor in Salt Lake City.

The tension keeps rising.

People protesting say corporate and financial greed is ruining the county, and it's negatively influencing the government.

Some say blame the banks.

"They failed miserably, they gambled on bad stock and bad mortgages and they shot the economy in the foot," said Bryan Kahnke from South Bend.

Kahnke is a 32-year-old Mass Communications Major at Indiana University South Bend. He is bringing a local version of Occupy Wall Street to South Bend on Saturday.

He says Occupy South Bend goes beyond the banks.

"Here in town we're worried about stuff like land taxes, and debt and unemployment," Kahnke said.

Khanke started a few Facebook pages to spread the word about Saturday's gathering.

"We're just trying to hear local grievances," he said.

Fed up and frustrated, Khanke wants anyone in South Bend to have a venue to vent.

"If we keep at it someone has to take notice."

There have been peaceful protests in cities around the country, but some rallies have tested police patience.

And with a home Notre Dame football Saturday, South Bend Police are on standby just in case the rally gets a little rowdy.

"We certainly, on a game day, don't want to commit a lot of resources if there are very few people. And on the other hand we can shift some resources if they are downtown,” said Captain Phil Trent from the South Bend Police Department.

Occupy South Bend will meet at 12 p.m. at 112 West Jefferson Street in Downtown South Bend. That is the Wells Fargo building.

Occupy Wall Street started with people upset with the banks. But now in many cities it has turned into a rally about many things: war protests, legalizing marijuana, voting reform.

Some people say the original anti-Wall Street movement which started about 18 days ago has gone a little flat.

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