Occupy Movement Heads to Venice

For three weeks now, protesters have been camping out for OccupyWallSt, an anti-corporate greed movement whose website states, "The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%."

Now, the movement has arrived in Venice.

Sunday morning, about 75 people gathered at Windward Circle to show their support.

"What we can create in this circle is a reflection of what we can create as humans," organizer Jodie Evans, founder of CodePink, told the crowd.

Evans, who traveled to New York and Washington, D.C. to support protests there said she was inspired by the people who started the movement.

"They were all young, and they didn't have anything to lose," she said. "Everyday they were watching their future deteriorate."

Evans said that Sunday's rally was just the beginning.

"They start small," she said, but she hopes that people will continue to occupy the circle and that OccupyVenice would gain steam.

Hector Herrara was one of the Venice residents who turned out for the event.

"I'm a proud labor union member," he said.

A SAG member, who pointed out that he spoke for himself, not the union, Herrara noted that the major studios were making billions while threatening to use nonunion actors during tough negotiations.

"They squeeze us really hard," he said.

A few LAPD officers showed up at the rally to make sure everything went smoothly. At the request of organizers, police officers even posed with the protesters. "We absolutely feel we are part of the community," Lt. Paula Kreeft said. The rally went off without incident.

Editor's Note: This article first appeared on Venice Patch.