The protests were timed for the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, with demonstrators mounting banners and handing out fliers urging passersby to resist the war.
The Occupy groups were uncertain whether the day’s activities would result in a march or an effort to settle ina downtown park the same way Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan has been colonized for the last several weeks.
Jimmy Raynor, manning a table handing out Workers Weekly newspapers and wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt, said he was at a recent Occupy Atlanta assembly, but the participants didn’t reach a decision on a planned action for Friday.
“They were still discussing it when I left,” said Raynor, 60, a printer. “They’re big on discussing.”
In fact, some members of the group have expressed impatience at the “consensus” building process. But Raynor, a member of the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition, admired their tactics.
"I’m impressed,” said Raynor. “They’ve got a lot of energy. Even though they’re learning on the fly, they’re taking care of business. This is an example of an idea that has become a material force. It started in Egypt or Tunisia, and now it’s finally reached Atlanta.”
At mid-day Friday the downtown workers taking lunchtime picnics on tables near the park's fountains outnumbered the protesters. Errin Calhoun enjoying a sandwich in the park with a friend, said the protesters should do more to reach those walking past them. “They seem to be talking among themselves."
The Occupy groups were uncertain whether the day’s activities would result in a march or an effort to settle ina downtown park the same way Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan has been colonized for the last several weeks.
Jimmy Raynor, manning a table handing out Workers Weekly newspapers and wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt, said he was at a recent Occupy Atlanta assembly, but the participants didn’t reach a decision on a planned action for Friday.
“They were still discussing it when I left,” said Raynor, 60, a printer. “They’re big on discussing.”
In fact, some members of the group have expressed impatience at the “consensus” building process. But Raynor, a member of the Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition, admired their tactics.
"I’m impressed,” said Raynor. “They’ve got a lot of energy. Even though they’re learning on the fly, they’re taking care of business. This is an example of an idea that has become a material force. It started in Egypt or Tunisia, and now it’s finally reached Atlanta.”
At mid-day Friday the downtown workers taking lunchtime picnics on tables near the park's fountains outnumbered the protesters. Errin Calhoun enjoying a sandwich in the park with a friend, said the protesters should do more to reach those walking past them. “They seem to be talking among themselves."
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