By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-990730.mp3
Albany, NY – THE MOVEMENT THAT BEGAN LAST MONTH ON WALL STREET TO PROTEST THE INFLUENCE CORPORATE MONEY HAS ON GOVERNMENT HAS REACHED THE STATE'S SEAT OF POLITICAL POWER. WAMC'S DAVE LUCAS REPORTS THAT AN ``OCCUPY ALBANY'' ENCAMPMENT HAS SPRUNG UP IN LAFAYETTE PARK, JUST ACROSS THE STRET FROM THE STATE CAPITOL.
More than a hundred protestors, ranging from high school students to senior citizens have gathered in downtown Albany: they are the local voices of the national Occupy movement. The demonstrators are showing solidarity on curbing what they interpret as "corporate greed" and the influence of Wall Street. UAlbany Activist Sharmin Hossain says Occupy has special meaning for all college students.
Occupy is believed to be a "leaderless movement," but there are facilitators: people who are the glue holding it together: one of them, LGBT Community Leader and UAlbany Public Policy Major Eyad Alkuradi, originally from Palestine, says the Occupy movement was influenced by the Arab Spring, and has support from that movement.
Lige English crossed the river to Troy for Occupy and plans to camp out for the night. There have been questions as to whether the State Police or City Police have jurisdiction over Albany's Occupy crowd, since the state owns part of Lafayette Park, and the city owns the other. Some of the protestors say they would prefer to deal with State Troopers rather than local authorities.
A spokesman for Mayor Jerry Jennings would not comment. The Mayor , he explained, was in City Hall, behind closed doors "with attorneys" - possibly discussing a game plan for dealing with those who wish to camp out in the park.