My friend Russell wrote this great piece about his experience visiting Occupy Wall Street NY. Check it out here.

I had a similar experience here in LA when I went down to City Hall on Sat. I took a few handmade signs and some cookies, as well as my books for the library tent. People were very friendly. A guy named Jesse was hand screen printing “we are the 99%” bandanas and promptly offered me one. I did a couple short interviews in support of the Occupy movement. I talked about the importance of action beyond just voting, and how every effort makes a difference. I also shared my belief that campaign finance reform is the first step toward giving incentive to politicians to look out for the interests of the people before the corporations. There were a broad range of views about banking, the environment, war, veganism, the American dream, etc…displayed by the people and their signs. Some were more fringe or extreme than my beliefs, but people were very tolerant and generous in spirit. I found Occupy LA to be almost utopian, in dramatic contrast to the Tea Party, the other theoretically “populist” movement. Check it out and support if you can.
-Shepard Fairey

To learn about an organization pushing for campaign finance reform and ending corrupt influence in congress, check out Rootstrikers.org

photo by Jeff Feuerzeig