Ok, I think this might do if for photo posts about New York City for a while... We'll see.

On the day I encountered the Occupy protesters in September I took a walk down Wall Street past the New York Stock Exchange, still not expecting the barricades or the police presence that brought foot traffic to a near gridlock condition. The protest movement was still pretty new and the atmosphere outside of the exchange was electric. There were hundreds of police officers in the area and the expectation of trouble was palpable. I didn't see anything that approached violence, but I sure heard a lot of the local business people complaining about the crowds, the barricades, and the police presence.

Near the end of the trading day the intersection in front of the NYSE was kept clear except for police officers and limousines

To keep the street clear, all foot traffic was barricaded down to the narrow sidewalks

More cops than traders

A couple of NYPD's finest texting to maintain their sanity while guarding the bull

Tourists still lined up for photos with the bull, they just had to reach over a fence to do it

Freedom Tower on Sept. 21, 2011

Compare the progress on the new tower's construction in this shot taken on December 16, 2011

On September 17, 2011 the Occupy Wall Street protest movement began in earnest in Zuccotti Park just a couple of blocks away from the New York Stock Exchange and the World Trade Center. On September 21, 2011 I wandered right through Zuccotti Park, completely unaware of the Occupy movement and the purpose behind the large group of protesters covering the entire city block.

Below are a few images that I think illustrate the experience.

From what I picked up by observation, I gather that I actually agree with some of the major points of the Occupy "agenda", whatever agenda really exists. I mean who doesn't side with those opposed to corporate corruption driven by greed. Mostly, however, it seemed like the movement was pretty much open to anyone with a beef against anything. I felt that if I were to sample any five protesters, I'd get five very different descriptions of what the movement was really about.

Most of the protesters appeared dedicated and energetic. They had covered most of the sidewalks surrounding their camp in the park with colorful and creative cardboard signs, some of which were carefully crafted, others of which were crudely scrawled in magic marker. There was a makeshift kitchen set up in the middle of the block and the "active" protesters were gathered toward the east end of the park right next to the bus stop. Old men played flutes, young men wearing joker makeup smoked hand rolled cigarettes of dubious composition, a large group of musicians played percussion on whatever they had available from snare drums, to buckets, to skate boards. More than one of the female protesters boldly wore... well, not much of anything, and friends, there are some things you just can't un-see. I learned there are also things you can't un-smell; this when I moved in close to a group of participants listening with rapt attention to an outspoken and zealous opinion leader wearing a red tie -- no showers in Zuccotti Park, I presume!

Overall, I guess I was left with an impression that the movement consisted largely of peaceful, unwashed, disorder.