By Khalida Sarwari
Several people participating in the “Occupy San Jose” movement took to the streets of downtown San Jose today to rail against corporate power.
Consisting on average of around 50 regular protesters, the San Jose faction of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement isn’t as strong in numbers as their counterparts in New York City or other Bay Area cities, but they are no less enthusiastic.
On their march from City Hall, where some have set up an encampment for the past two weeks, down to the Federal Building, many protesters chanted “Corporate greed has got to go!” and carried signs that read, “The Planet is not for Sale!” and “Banks Got Bailed Out, We Got Sold Out!”
Motorists driving past honked their horns in solidarity. One participant said while police officers cited three protesters for camping and trespassing on Tuesday night there are also instances where officers have been supportive and sympathetic to the protesters. He said one night the fire department had pizza delivered to those camped out at City Hall.
“They’re part of the 99 percent, too,” said 23-year-old Gilroy resident Gabriel Padilla, alluding to an issue that is at the crux of the worldwide rallies — the economic disparity between the wealthiest 1 percent of the population and the other 99 percent.
“I have a daughter, and when I see what’s going on in this world as far as our government, I think, ‘what’s going to happen to her future?'” Padilla said. “I’m in it to try to bring the power back to the people so that there’s justice.”
Padilla, who works as a horse trainer in Gilroy, said he became involved with the Occupy San Jose movement when it began on Oct. 2 and has noticed it growing since.
Just like other cities around the country and the world, the movement in San Jose was inspired by the anti-Wall Street rallies in New York City that began last month. The groups are protesting against “banks, illegal bank operations, corporate greed, and government corruption,” said Padilla.
Francisco Ruiz, a 22-year-old Santa Clara resident who is studying history at San Jose State University, held a sign saying, “Money 4 jobs here, not war there.”
He said he chose that sign because as an immigrant from Mexico, he could relate to the message.
“We have to make a connection between the injustice here, as far as taxes, corporations, banks, and people feeling robbed, and the imperialist wars that the U.S. fights,” Ruiz said.
He said he has been an activist since coming to the U.S. five years ago and believes that this movement is a “righteous cause.”
“The folks here have a lot to learn,” he said. “At least they’re angry. Now they’ve got to learn the root of oppression.”
Along the march today, protesters stopped by three big banks — Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo — and passed out flyers encouraging people to cancel their accounts and switch over to local credit unions.
The reason, Padilla said, is that “the government gave them $8.5 trillion in bailout money, and yet our education gets dropped, our health care gets cut, and our children’s future is at stake.”
He said one man participating in the protest was inspired to walk in and cancel his account and many others accepted the flyers and said they would consider doing the same. The banks did not appear to be happy with the protesters.
“As soon as they saw us, they closed their gates on us,” Padilla said.
Padilla said the movement would continue in San Jose “until we see change. Until there’s action taken against the banks, corporations, and the government for their illegal actions.”
“I could see us being out here for a year if that’s what it takes,” he added.
