ROGERS JAFFARIAN
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

It all started at the charging bull.

On Sept. 17, a few protesters stood in front of the symbolic bull at the center of New York’s financial district saying they represent the “99 percent,” a reference to the one percent of the U.S. population that controls 40 percent of the country’s wealth. Since then, the “99 percent” movement has spread to 70 cities worldwide including San Diego, where protestors hold cardboard signs blaming banks and corporations for their nations’ financial woes.

In San Diego, signs are not being waved in the air and chants of “occupy Wall Street … all day … all week” do not echo through the streets. There are only a few dozen protesters gathered in two locations— downtown’s San Diego Civic Center Plaza and in Balboa Park. In North County, protestors gathered Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 for marches at the Oceanside Pier. At Cal State San Marcos, an Occupation Hour took place Oct. 20 in Library Plaza and flyers displayed in the Dome cafeteria say “We are the 99 percent” and “This revolution will not be privatized.”

Civic Center Plaza is the central hub of the Occupy San Diego movement. One afternoon last month, about 20 people eating hot dogs and sleeping on blankets were gathered, some speaking into a microphone that America is a “rich are getting richer, poor are getting poorer” society. On Oct. 28, police forced protestors out of the plaza, though some have returned sporadically. Protestors in other cities have demonstrated stronger resistance to police relocation and removal.

Among last month’s protestors were Phil Lopez and Robert Unger, union faculty members at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, who said that students and teachers fall into the 99 percent.

“Classes have been cut by 30 percent over the last three years and tuition has gone from zero to $46 a unit,” said Lopez, an English teacher. “This budget crisis has been caused by corporate greed.”

He said the budget cuts are short-sighted because education is the gateway to upper mobility and the gates are closing. One student protestor echoed their sentiments.

“Because of the effect of budget cuts, I wasn’t able to attend summer school,” said Mateo Montaño, a student at San Diego City College. “Right now I should be at Chico State instead of another semester here. The one defense against all injustice is education. This protest isn’t to destroy or deconstruct, it’s meant to create reform.”

There isn’t overwhelming evidence that Wall Street is bringing down the school systems, though budget cuts have had a negative impact. Gov. Jerry Brown has endorsed a 10 percent CSU fee increase, which will increase student debt in the face of a dissolving job market.

The bull in finance represents a strong stock market and New York protestors have targeted their anger at banks selling loans to the secondary market (thereby washing their hands of the substandard loans they’d profited from). When the financial sector failed, American taxpayers got the bill.

An Associated Press poll last month showed that 37 percent of Americans support the Occupy protests. Some of the local protestors say they’re committed to sticking it out and building public support. When asked what it would take to end their campout, Unger said “A statement by congress or the president.”

Photos by Rogers Jaffarian