Jason Mebane, one of the members of Occupy West Seattle led a march up California Ave. s.w. to the Chase Bank to protest the banks policies and urge people to move their funds elsewhere. The demonstration was the first public display of protest by the group, an outgrowth of the larger Occupy movement. CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO SEE MORE
A group of about 30 people gathered in the West Seattle Junction amid snow flurries at around 4pm on March, 13 to begin a march up to Chase Bank at the corner of California Ave. s.w. and s.w. Oregon. This was the first public display of West Seattle's very own local chapter of the Occupy movement.
The group has been holding meetings, getting organized and chose today and Chase Bank specifically because it's the birthday of its President Jamie Dimon.
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They were equipped with the requisite signs but also balloons, whistles and displayed an attitude substantially more upbeat and less threatening than was displayed by Occupy Seattle when they closed part of the Port of Seattle this past December. That incident was witness to violence and injuries. This version of Occupy was much more mild.
Speaking only for himself but reflective of the goals of many, the leader of the group Jason Mebane said, "I think that one of the problems Occupy Seattle had starting out was alienating people by disrupting too much. Part of what we're trying to do with not only this neighborhood group but others is show that there is a feeling within the communities that things need to change. We want to try to start that where we live instead of causing trouble, let's focus on our communities."
Dina Lydia Johnson brought "We are the 99 percent" signs in various colors for everyone,"they reflect the diversity of the movement," she said. "I've been concerned for a long time about things that are going on in this country. The people who control everything, the powers that be are taking it in a direction that really frightens me. There's too much war profiteering, too much exploitation of lower income people and because of that I identify with this movement."
The group marched north to the Chase Bank, tooting whistles and in general just trying to attract attention. They arrived and in keeping with the movement's practices, repeated the words as a group that were spoken by Mebane. "We're here to prove that the Occupy Movement is not going anywhere," the group shouted, " except out into the neighborhoods and into the communities we live in, and try to make a difference."
They followed the speech with an out of tune singing of Happy Birthday to Jamie Dimon and the event was largely over. Though Seattle Police were on hand, and prepared for any trouble, this was a group intent on not causing any.