occupation across the street

My 9.28.11 post ("billy clubs, tear gas, pepper spray") touched on the topic of the Occupy Wall Street protest in New York and how I was encouraged by the fact that such a protest was even happening.  Since then the demonstrations in Lower Manhattan have continued and grown larger and have spread to dozens of other cities around the country.  Today, Occupy Minnesota has begun here in downtown Minneapolis.  It's being held at the Government Plaza, adjacent to the Hennepin County Government Center, which happens to be right outside my office window.  So I get a front-row seat.

I've already walked over there to mingle with the demonstrators a couple times, and as of midday today there are probably about 300 people there, carrying signs that read slogans like "Human Need, Not Corporate Greed!" and chanting things like "This is what democracy looks like!"  Of course I love all of this.  Progressives are coming to life.