MoveOn.org rally in Elkhart supports Occupy Wall Street

November 17, 2011|By Ed Ernstes (ernstes@wsbt.com)

ELKHART – Occupy Wall Street protests continue around the country as thousands express frustration about corporate excesses and economic inequality.

A like minded group called MoveOn.Org carries similar sentiments about those topics.

Local members of a grass roots organization called MoveOn.org held a noon rally at the Elkhart Civic Plaza.

The group nationally has been in existence for 10 years. They were there to commemorate the two month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement,

“It’s just another way to illustrate that move on is in support of objectives and or ideals of the Occupy Wall Street movement,” said MoveOn.org’s Northern Indiana Regional Coordinator Lori Silverman.

Now, as a group, they say they have similar ideals as the Occupy Wall Street group, but they are indeed a separate organization. They also feel that there are continuing problems with too much corporate greed around the country

“I believe that corporate greed has made the middle class and the lower classes pay for their money grabbing,” said group member Michelle Lucchese.

John Rumpel, who attended the rally, feels that the financial system in the U.S. is loaded in favor of a tiny elite group

“That has gained control over the political process, that it is time, for ordinary people to protest the way our institutions are being controlled,” said Rumpel.

Even in the cold, they took to the streets with signs to get their feelings across.

“We believe the national focus should be on creating jobs rather than budget cuts,” said Silverman. “Cuts this time where a little bit of money needs to be spent to revive the economy before it becomes unrevivable.”

“The mess we are in globally is the responsibility of corporate greed,” said Lucchese. “So they should pay, not the little people.”

Group members say they were also upset recently when some banks tried to charge customers for use of debit cards.

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