Protesters in Washington, Chicago march to mark movement's two-month anniversary

Protesters in Washington and Chicago took to the streets Thursday to join the nationwide "Day of Action" to mark the movement's two-month anniversary. Over a hundred protesters marched from McPherson Square to Key Bridge in solidarity with OurDC and other labor organizations, calling on the U.S. government to create jobs and "making Wall Street banks pay." Some protesters joined the protest from Freedom Plaza, according to organizers. Throughout the demonstration, a heavy police presence could be seen in the Georgetown area and near Key Bridge. Twenty-one Metropolitan Police officers accompanied the group on their march. Protesters marched to Key Bridge at around 2:30 p.m. local time. They were told by police to stay on the sidewalks of the bridge or face arrest. The District Department of Transportation issued an advisory to motorists about heavy pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic near the Key Bridge and McPherson Square and possible traffic disruptions. Meanwhile, Occupy Chicago demonstrators also answered the call for the "Day of Action." Hundreds of protesters "occupied" Chicago's LaSalle Street Bridge late Thursday afternoon, with around 50 escorted away by police and ticketed for disrupting traffic. Protesters met at the Thompson Center at 3:30 p.m. Thursday and began marching to Jackson and LaSalle streets, the heart of Chicago's financial district, with slogans of "resist austerity, reclaim the economy, and recreate democracy." For many participants, the march was an opportunity to voice their discontent over economic inequality and the high unemployment rate, which are becoming hot topics in the United States. "I just told my wife I have to go, I have to be down here because it's too precious to let it be squandered," Occupy Chicago participant Larry Wier told Xinhua, explaining why he made the trip downtown to participate in the mass demonstration. The website of the Occupy movement in Chicago, occupychi.org, announced that the protesters would launch a mass demonstration at 5:30 p.m. Some demonstrators would dress up as the wealthiest one percent of the U.S. population before marching through the city's downtown area. Finally, they would gather in Grant Park, near Michigan and Congress, by 6:30 p.m. local time. Mass protests similar to those in Washington and Chicago also occurred Thursday in New York and many other U.S. cities. Some of the protests also resulted in arrests.