Occupy Wheeling: Orderly, Middle-Aged Crowd Worried About Economy

Occupy protesters in Wheeling express fear of disappearing middle class

Wheeling, WV, was the scene of Saturday’s Occupy/The 99% protest. Despite the ultra-breezy day, a crowd of perhaps 200 turned out to voice concerns over corporate corruption and a disappearing middle class. The orderly, mostly middle-aged crowd spoke out about economic worries that don’t seem to be getting any better. DBKP’s Liz Kaye was there and filed her report.

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Wheeling has joined the 99%.

The Occupy protests expanded beyond Wall Street Saturday and moved across the world. Chicago, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Cincinnati–and Wheeling, West Virginia.

Although some media has labeled the Occupy protests as “anti-capitalist,” the concerns heard most often in Wheeling were corporate and government corruption, loss of jobs and a disappearing middle class.

While some attendees laughed at comparisons between themselves and the Tea Party protesters, there was at least one similarity. Both groups were upset at something “big”: the Tea Party protests targeted “big government” while the Occupiers lashed out at “big corporations.”

As the rallies and protests against Wall Street grow in number, they have spread to many more cities and countries. Saturday September 15, 2011 a peaceful protest took place at Wheeling Park’s Amphitheater from 12p.m to 4p.m.

An observer noted that the crowd attending was made up of mostly middle-aged people.

One of the people responsible for helping set up the protest was Craig Thoburn of Wheeling. When asked what brought him to the rally he replied with, “I didn’t see anybody else stepping forward. I just want peace. I’m fed up with corruption and this is a way to express it.”

One woman, Stephanie Swiger, traveled all the way from Washington DC to protest Wall Street. “I feel like I am part of the 99%. Wall Street is definitely the problem with our country. I’m tired of Congress being bought and paid for.” During the rally Swiger went up to the microphone to voice her opinion. “Every time we fight a war, that’s where our jobs go next.”

The park was filled with signs and voices wanting to be heard. One family came out with their children holding signs as well. George and Laurie Adase and their three children came to show support for the cause of the rally. Their main concern was the future of their children.

“Our voice isn’t being heard. It’s being diminished for the benefit of the lifeless corporations,” says George Adase. “We’re all feeling frustration. There is no middle class anymore. We want our children to have a good future, and we see that possibility crumbling because corporations have a bigger voice than individuals,” adds his wife.

Thousands from the Occupy movement in NYC moved into Times Square on Saturday and 74 were arrested. By contrast, the scene in Wheeling was peaceful and orderly.

Though there were no official estimates of crowd size, guesses from those attending ranged from 75-200. Some of the people attending added that “it was a good turnout.” A few voiced the opinion that the weather, which was gusty and had earlier threatened rain, had likely suppressed the turnout.

The microphone was open to anybody wanting to voice their opinion, and most people attending took that opportunity.

Protests against Wall Street don’t seem to be letting up anytime soon. Are you part of the 99%?

MORE PHOTOS from the Occupy/The 99% protest in Wheeling @: Occupy Wheeling: Photos from the 99% Protest at Wheeling Park

by Liz Kaye
notes by: Mondo Frazier
images: DBKP

Mondo Frazier is the author of the upcoming The Secret Life of Barack Hussein Obama, which will be released October 25 by Threshold Editions, a division of Simon & Schuster.

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