Occupy Wall Street and 99% protesters were peacefully removed from the Marriott Wardman Hotel after causing disruption at the CPAC event in Washington, DC. Photo: Danny R. Johnson/San Diego County News-Washington, D.C. Bureau
By Danny R. Johnson
WASHINGTON–Twenty-five Occupy DC and Ninety-Nine Per Centers (99%) protesters descended on the Washington, DC Marriott Wardman Park hotel, the launch pad for the 2012 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), on Friday afternoon and attracted noticeable attention which attracted a swarm of media.
The group were already stationed inside the hotel mingling in with the rest of the 11,000 conference attendees, when all of a sudden they began to shout in unison, “Greedy politicians – we are the ninety-nine per centers.” Security and the DC police were immediately called in to remove the protesters – but not until a host of media ran over to see what was happening. By that time the security detail rounded up all the protesters the damage was already done.
The protesters were cooperative and were removed peacefully from the building. However, that did not stop the media from taking pictures and asking questions.
“We are sick and tired of politicians like Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, and Obama for that matter, always making empty promises, but suck up to the one per centers who call all the shots,” stated 23 year-old Occupy Wall Street protester, Jeremy DaSilva. “The CPAC big-wigs are nothing more than corporate slaves doing the bidding of their masters, the Wall Street and corporate raiders,” DaSilva commented.
Several of the CPAC young college students engaged in a civil and cordial debate with the protesters regarding their grievances. “Why is it that you have to disrupt the meetings to get your point across?” asked 20 year-old Rutgers University student, Paul Schmoke.
DaSilva responded by saying, “Why didn’t you and the Tea Party say that to the folks who disrupted Democratic Congressmen who were conducting health care debates back in 2010?”
Danny R. Johnson is San Diego County News’ Washington, DC Correspondent.
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