OccupyWallStreet.....On Saturday September 17th, I heard cheers and shouts

On Saturday September 17th, I heard cheers and shouts on the streets of my city in Lower Manhattan. I didn't know what was happening, but it sounded big. I walked towards it and thus began Day One of the peaceful occupation of Zuccotti Park. I had no idea that my entire life would undergo a tectonic shift just days later. I had no idea that I would be thrown into a mass movement now being connected by millions around the country and even the world. I had no idea I would be writing this diary two weeks later...
On that first sunny Saturday, I saw 1500+ people marching then descend on Zuccotti Park, just 4 blocks north of Wall St. By the afternoon, I had already googled "protest" and "Wall St" and found an article on New York magazine's website explaining a group organized loosely by AdBusters magazine and a short video by 'Anonymous', the hacker collective group. #OccupyWallStreet sounded like a novel idea-- Use peaceful resistance by sleeping in public spaces to bring attention to the chasm of wealth in this country and the way it affects our national politics.
When I first descended on the park, I saw factions of all different stripes. There was a group petitioning against capital punishment. Another who was passing out literature on 9/11. The Socialist Party had a card table; I think the Communist party did, too. There were Ron Paul supporters and at least one LaRouche supporter. I saw performance art and hula hoops and a myriad of Guy Fawkes masks. It was a carnival and it was fun to just mingle amongst so many different ideas.
I should tell you that on Day One I spent a lot of time debating those who do not believe the 9/11 narrative. [Truthers has become a slur, so I won't use it] At least 45 minutes with just a few guys in one instance. I asked a Ron Paul supporter if he would have voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1965. And if he thought restaurants could exclude minorities from their businesses while not discriminating against smokers. Freedom and liberty and all, you know? I spoke to a New York Daily News reporter for a few minutes, but didn't give my name. I had no idea what this group was or what they wanted.

There were a few different young men and women with bullhorns. At least one mic and amp was set up. Some had competing messages and all were jostling for space and audience. I thought to myself, well if this was the Tea Party there would be glossy bumper stickers and shuttle buses and polished websites with a focused message. But this was sloppy and messy and disorganized. And real. I felt proud to be an American.
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