Organizers of the Occupy Buffalo movement that grew out of Occupy Wall Street are marking the fifth anniversary. They plan to convene in Niagara Square Wednesday evening from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. for a candlelight vigil. It was October 2011. The Occupy Wall Street protests were into a fourth week. Occupy Buffalo was growing in strength. Members camped out overnight in Niagara Square downtown, waving signs with various messages, including "End the Fed" and "Stop the war on workers."
"Against corporate lobbying, and we are buying off politicians and making their own laws and we are trying to defend the American public against corporations," one protestor told WBFO's Eileen Buckley.
It was a mostly cordial relationship with the city. The movement even received a video YouTube kudos message from national filmmaker Michael Moore, saying he was "proud" of them.
"Hello Occupy Buffalo. I'm so proud of you for what you are doing up there. I know it is getting colder and it's going to be difficult, so you are going to have to think of some creative ways to get through the winter. But this movement is growing every where, you are part of millions," said Moore.
The group camped outside City Hall for several months until police and maintenance crews removed them in February 2012, arresting 10 in the process.
Leaders of the movement say they will use the anniversary to reflect on victories and discuss solutions to continuing issues "which challenge the 1% and the 99% to see that we are all in this together and we are better and more powerful together. We want to encourage and inspire each member of our community to consider how we can create a more functionally just city, country and world," leaders said in a statement announcing the vigil.
