Veterans Occupy Wall Street
11/3/2011
Spurred by an injury to one of their own, military veterans are mobilizing to increase their profile in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Yesterday on Wall Street, the New York City chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War and dozens of uniformed veterans known as "Veterans of the 99%" gathered at the Vietnam Veterans Plaza near Wall Street, where Occupy began.
While they've been participating in Occupy protests throughout the country, vets say their ranks have been swelling since last week, when former Marine and Iraq War vet Scott Olsen sustained a skull fracture when he was hit by a police projectile at an Occupy Oakland protest. Although, still hospitalized, Olsen, 24, is expected to make a full recovery.
"His injury has definitely galvanized veterans," says University of Illinois senior Scott Kimball, who served in Iraq as an Army specialist, who helped coordinate yesterday's event.
"We're getting calls from veterans across the country who are extremely angry and appalled that someone who served two tours in Iraq got injured as a well-behaved protester," says Kimball, 27. "We're just seeing the beginning of it."
Interim Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan has said that the events leading up to Olsen's injury would be investigated as vigorously as a fatal police shooting.
Occupy Wall Street launched as a protest against Corporate America's influence on government and the growing income disparity between the rich and poor. Although many protests have appeared disorganized, Occupy's central themes have attracted a widening band of followers, and protests have spread to scores of U.S. cities and abroad.
The movement has been gathering support from labor unions and liberal groups such as MoveOn. org, although support from veterans has been less vocal. Occupy Marines, a Facebook group that did not respond to calls, has been urging vets and active-duty personnel to show up at demonstrations in uniform.
"I'm in it for the long term," says 25-year-old former Marine Shawn Riley, who served in Iraq and is a participant in Occupy Chicago. "This is an idea we're going to pass to future generations."
Joe Carter, of the Iraq Veterans Against the War association, expects more involvement from retired and active-duty personnel.
Iraq Veterans Against the War; http://ivaw.org/
Occupy Marines; http://occupymarines.org/
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