34 Portraits Of People Occupying Wall Street

Yesterday, Amy Sly and I headed down to Wall Street to interview and take pictures of people participating in the Occupy Wall Street protest. Amy took the pictures and I asked the questions. This should give you a pretty good idea of the different types of people occupying Wall Street.

By
Matt Stopera
by Matt Stopera

BuzzFeed Staff

1.

Name: Nick

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Cigarette roller. He has rolled 15,000 cigarettes.

From: Gateway Plaza, New Jersey.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 20 days. He saw the protest on his way to the PATH train, checked it out, and hasn't left since.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: See above.

Job: Unemployed.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "I want change."

Favorite website: Yahoo.

2.

Name: Walter

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Uptown, New York City.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: Several days. He has started going every day.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: TV and newspaper.

Job: Retired World War 2 veteran.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "I sympathize with the people."

Favorite website: None. He's 89!

3.

Name: Robert

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Harlem, New York.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: This was his second day there.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Radio.

Job: Retired.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "For students. Less debt."

Favorite website: Doesn't use the computer.

4.

Name: Max

From: Farmington, Maine.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 2 hours. Drove down from Maine for the day. Spending the rest of the day and then heading back to Maine.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: From a friend online.

Job: Student and a secretary at an office.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Less debt forever."

Favorite website: Tumblr.

5.

Name: Harrison

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Works on the Occupy Wall Street website.

From: Brooklyn.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 20 days. He still has a job so he comes whenever he can. He is also getting his PHD in Sociology at the New School.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Found out about it on Adbusters in July.

Job: Business intelligence analyst and student.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Revolution. New society."

Favorite website: OccupyWallStreet.org. He works on it.

6.

Didn't speak English.

7.

Name: Gemma

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Long Island.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 24 hours.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: TV news.

Job: Student.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "More love. Less hate."

Favorite website: YouTube.

8.

Name: Paula

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: A couple hours. Her husband wanted to check it out. They were visiting from Pittsburgh.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Heard about it on TV.

Job: Retired.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Congress to do its job."

Favorite website: CNN.

9.

Name: Carmelo

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Queens, New York.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: This was his second day there.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Television.

Job: Unemployed. Hasn't had a job in 3 years. Has an MBA.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Change the system."

Favorite website: Information Clearing House.

10.

Name: Hector

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Connecticut.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 3 days. He stays from 12:30 to 4.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Found about it on the computer.

Job: Retired.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Independence of Puerto Rico."

Favorite website: None.

11.

Name: Kevin

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: New York City.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: He had spent the last 3 days there.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: He read about it on Adbusters in July.

Job: Documentary filmmaker.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Beyond capitalism."

Favorite website: ML Today.

12.

Name: Danielle and her squirrel, Hazelnut.

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Connecticut.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 7 days. Goes back and forth from Connecticut every day with her pet squirrel.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Facebook.

Job: Unemployed.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Freedom. Equal rights. Freedom for all."

Favorite website: Pandora.

13.

Name: Dino

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Queens, New York.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: This was his first time there.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Counterpunch, Democracy Now, misc. blogs.

Job: Truck driver. He's a teamster.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "Solidarity."

Favorite website: Counter Punch.

14.

Name: David

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Upper East Side, Manhattan.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: Since earlier in the day.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: NY Times.

Job: Student at Cornell Med School.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "I need to be here."

Favorite website: Gmail.

15.

Name: Didn't want to give his name

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Observer.

From: New York City.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: This was his first time checking it out.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: TV.

Job: Financial analyst. He studies Wall Street.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "Peoples lives are being destroyed."

Favorite website: Fox News until he realized they were BS.

16.

Name: Andrew

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Springfield, Illinois.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: A couple of hours. He planned on staying for the rest of the day.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: The newspaper.

Job: Intern architect.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "Stand up to greed."

Favorite website: Twitter.

17.

Name: Reverend Deacon Edgar Hopper

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: New York City.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: This was his first day.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Lives in the neighborhood.

Job: Reverend.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "Because it's important."

Favorite website: St. Augustus Project.

18.

Name: Dada

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: East Village, New York City.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 7 days. Is there from 1pm-8pm.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: An email from a friend. He was in Iceland working with clients from Alcohol Anonymous when his friend emailed him. As soon as he got home, he went to Wall Street.

Job: Psychotherapist.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Demand the cap on wealth"

Favorite website: Facebook.

19.

Name: Jordan

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Sanitation. In charge of trash.

From: New Hampshire.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 4 days. Sleeps there.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Independent news organizations.

Job: Unemployed and homeless.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "People are more important than money."

Favorite website: LATFO.

20.

Name: Kanaska

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Canada.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 20 days and nights.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: From a friend online.

Job: Seasonal vendor and tarot card reader.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "To help the global revolution."

Favorite website: OccupyWallStreet.org.

21.

Name: Steve

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Painter.

From: New York City.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: This was his first day.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: "It's everywhere."

Job: Painter.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "Record the movement through paintings."

Favorite website: Reader Supported News.

22.

Name: Gabriel

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Staten Island.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: This was his second trip there.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: TV news.

Job: Unemployed.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "To relate."

Favorite website: Facebook.

23.

Name: Lizzi

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: San Francisco, California.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 19 days. She had a ticket to Washington DC to visit family, so she went to DC, said a quick hello, and took the train to New York. She has been here ever since.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Facebook.

Job: Taxi driver and runs a speciality bakery.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Less debt forever."

Favorite website: OccupyWallStreet.org. She watched the livestream for the day she wasn't there.

24.

Name: Abby and her son

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Brooklyn, New York.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: This was her first time there.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Facebook.

Job: Works a couple of jobs under the counter.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "People to take back power."

Favorite website: Google.

25.

Name: Jesse

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Sign painter.

From: Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: A couple of hours. She came with her mom and kids from school.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Her mother had seen some videos on YouTube.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "Inequality insults humanity."

Job: High school student.

26.

Name: Sue (Sue is a boy, a boy named Sue)

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Washington State.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 11 days.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: His owner.

Job: Cuddling.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Woof"

27.

Name: Marsha

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Knitter. She knits gloves and scarves for the occupiers.

From: New York City.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 7 days. She comes at Noon and leaves at dark.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Facebook.

Job: Unemployed.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "Because I'm an American."

Favorite website: Facebook.

28.

Name: Brendan

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Security. The blue tape around his arm signifies that.

From: Brooklyn.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 2 weeks. He's there from 8am-9pm.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: His friend called him up and needed help. So he went.

Job: Truck driver.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "No other recourse. I'm American."

Favorite website: Facebook.

29.

Name: Ben

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Musician.

From: Brooklyn.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: This was his third or 4th time there.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: From a friends.

Job: Actor, musician, handyman. Has 5 jobs, would like 2.

Describe why you are occupyiny Wall Street in less than 5 words: "Inequality."

Favorite website: The Telegraph.

30.

Name: Bed Stuy Save-A-Life Rescue Squad

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Volunteer medical squad. They help anyone that gets hurt.

From: Bed Stuy, Brooklyn.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 20 days. They will be there until it's over.

31.

Name: Larissa

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Volunteer outreach coordinator. She was walking around and someone needed someone for the job, so she volunteered.

From: New York City.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 6 times. She doesn't spend the night.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: From an email list-serve.

Job: Technical project manager.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "I have to be here."

Favorite website: NY Times.

32.

Name: Margaret

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: Jackson Heights, Queens.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: Just got there. She was making her sign when we talked to her.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Saw on Facebook and the news.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "To Promote American Jobs Act"

Favorite website: Facebook.

33.

Name: Iggy

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Occupier.

From: The Soviet Union.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: 3 days and nights.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Don't remember.

Job: Unemployed.

Describe what you want from this movement in less than 5 words: "Government to do it's job."

Favorite website: "Haven't been online long."

34.

Name: Mike

Role at Occupy Wall Street: Observer.

From: Brooklyn, New York.

How long have you been Occupying Wall Street: Comes every day during his break. He works right around the corner.

How did you find out about Occupy Wall Street: Works right by it.

Job: Personal trainer and fighter. He was a retired from fighting, but has had to come out of retirement for money reasons. His clients were Wall Street workers, so business has been bad since the recession.

Describe why you are occupying Wall Street in less than 5 words: "I'm fascinated by it."

Favorite website: "It damn sure ain't Facebook!"

35. Photos by Amy Sly

amysly.com

Topics in this article

Skip to footer