Nearly 1,000 protesters took to the streets in downtown Washington on Thursday in an energized but amicable contrast to similar anti-Wall Street demonstrations that began last month in New York City, where hundreds of arrests have been made. The event, Stop the Machine, began at noon at noon with speeches and music in Freedom Plaza, near the White House. Just before 3 p.m. a march began up 15th Street, by the White House to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters. U.S. Park Police and the city’s Metropolitan Police Department closed off roads and escorted the march, but there were no SWAT teams and German shepherds that have marked other larger Washington protests.
Although police in New York City arrested roughly 80 more people in protests there on Thursday, it was — literally — a much different picture in D.C.’s Lafayette Square as a protester wearing a Robin Hood cap posed for a photo with a Park Police officer.
The only moment of uncertainty came when hundreds of protesters approached the line of about 12 officers blocking the entrance to the commerce building across from Lafayette Square. But the moment was brief — officers stood their ground but let the crowd string up a sign across the building steps and use it as a backdrop for more speeches before moving on to march down K Street.
As the crowd moved on, one man thanked the officers, saying “You guys are doing an amazing job compared to your counterparts in New York City.”
Police Chief Cathy Lanier said that was the goal on Thursday.
“We take pride in being part of events like this,” she wrote in an email to The Washington Examiner. “Our job is to ensure the safety of individuals when they exercise their right to assemble. And that is what we accomplished today.”
Thursday’s protesters said they are tired of corporate executives getting rich at the expense of others and chanted “Where are the jobs?” when they reached the commerce building.
But many protesters noted their message was more complicated than that, which could be to their detriment. Signs touched on countless topics: ending the U.S. troop occupation in the Middle East, student loan debt, Wall Street bankers and unemployment, to name a few.
“I think the only real problem is that there’s too many causes,” said Christine Bandi, who traveled from Nashville, Tenn., to attend the rally. “I think it really comes down to corporate greed.”
Many said that is typical with a grass-roots event. But Kevin Zeese, who organized Thursday’s march, said they hoped this was the beginning of something that would evolve into a more specific plan. The protesters are planning to stay in Freedom Plaza until Sunday evening.
And the crowd was just as mixed as the message — middle class, working class and wealthy, all races were represented and there was no predominant age group. Many came just because they agreed with the sentiment.
Franz Gimmler of Arlington said he hasn’t been at a rally since the March on Washington led by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963.
“It gets behind the principles about equality, about the environment and all those basic things. And [although] normally I wouldn’t be at a rally, I’m at this one,” he said.
Examiner intern Leigh Giangreco contributed to this story.
