The Occupation Grows - Join It Now

UPDATE Wall Street's paid-for thugs broke out the pepper spray, the batons and the cuffs last night. Pictures, video and descriptions here.

NY1 has coverage and video:

"Occupy Wall Street" protesters, community groups, unions and students have combined forces for a Lower Manhattan march this evening to demand Governor Andrew Cuomo and federal lawmakers stop giving tax breaks to the wealthy, eliminate budget cuts and restore jobs.

The thousands of demonstrators gathered in Foley Square and marched to Zuccotti Park, where the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters have stayed for two-and-a-half weeks.

Students from colleges in the neighborhood also staged walkouts from classes and joined the protests.

Among the dozens of participating representatives from city municipal unions is Transit Workers Union Local 100 President John Samuelsen, who said his union members share common concerns with the "Occupy Wall Street" organizers.

"One is joblessness, which is pervasive, and one is the disparity of wealth, which has continued to grow over the last several decades, and particularly in New York State right now," Samuelsen said.

He also said that the governor cannot say there is no money for raises for union members, when millionaires are still getting tax breaks.

While today's marchers do not have a single set of demands, participants said their diversity is an important aspect of their efforts.

"It gets to a point where you need to organize collectively. All different unions that are organizing today, the community-based organizations, all are out today, undivided," said Andy King of United New York.

The International Business Times:

The Occupy Wall Street movement staged a massive rally on Wednesday night, drawing on the newfound support of labor unions to attract thousands of protestors to downtown Manhattan and amplify its critique of economic inequity. The protest was the largest since Occupy Wall Street began over two weeks ago, and it underscored the movement's increasing sophistication and breadth.

Union members wearing the t-shirts of their local shops marched alongside students, community organizers and activists. Protestors began by massing in Occupy Wall Street's base camp of Zuccotti Park, where veterans of the movement warned others to stay on the sidewalks and to remain respectful of police officers, an attempt to prevent a repeat of the mass arrests that marred a protest on the previous Saturday. They then slowly proceeded towards Foley Square, pounding drums, waving signs and chanting slogans that included "We are the 99 percent" and "We got sold out, banks got bailed out.

This could be it. This could be what finally turns the worm that has been destroying the country for the last 30 years.

What will you say, 30 years from now, when someone asks "What did you do in the class war?"

Join the Occupation in your town.