Intermediate Journalism: The Metro Section: Minute by Minute Morning: MayDay Bryant Park

The rain beat hard on the marble floor in Bryant Park at 8 AM while people gathered in their ponchos to organize. “Screw umbrellas!” one protester shouted as he uncovered his face from a green poncho, stepping onto one of the parks fountains to perform a mic check-- an organization tactic used by many protesters that involves a group of people repeating back instructions given by one person of the group.

8 AM, Bryant Park.

May Day was supposed to be a day of protest for the working class, similar to the City Wide Student Strike that took place in November of last year, but the turnout in Bryant Park Tuesday morning said otherwise, where roughly 400 protestors stayed alert for news about where they would picket next -- this a fairly small number compared to the city student strike which had nearly double that.

“I’m here to show that there is still strength in numbers,” said Dee Rockin, 29, a paramedic from Atlanta who has been protesting for seven months back home. “I’m sick of the incorporate influence in politics and government.” Like many, Rockin has been following the Occupy Wall Street movement for months and came to New York City Tuesday in hopes of making a difference on May Day-- to his surprise however, the crowed was small and stayed small as protestors moved to their assigned picketing locations throughout

midtown Manhattan.

By 8:20 AM, a larger group of about 70 marched to the Bank of America located on 6^th and 42nd from Bryant Park. “Bank of America, Bad for America!” yelled protestors as they gathered by the front entrance of the bank and marched in a circle on the sidewalk.

8:17, Bryant Park, one picket sign

reads, "Fuck Disney!" as protestors

gear up to march to the Disney Store in

Times Square.

Police lined 42^nd street waiting for the protestors to move. One man yelled, “We are allowed to be here, march in a circle!” as the group repeated him and began their picketing.

“Things need to change,” said Jenessa, 19 as she wiped the rain from her eyebrow. I’m a college student in Connecticut and it all comes back to money for me.”

8: 20 Protestors begin to make their way
from Bryant Park to Bank of America
on 42nd.

Like Jenessa, others came to New York just for May Day. “Working class America is not being heard,” said Mario Lozada, 26, from Philadelphia who wouldn’t stop marching with his oversized American flag for an interview.

By 9:10 AM the protest was still going strong at Bank of America. There were no arrests and the protest was mostly violent free except for several protectors who refused to remain off parts of the sidewalk for pedestrian use.

Around 9:30 AM hundreds of protesters were marching through midtown, heading towards Bryant Park; police with NYPD riot gear escorted the protesters. Arrests were reported in midtown during this time, according to New School Free Press.

Later in the day, MayDay activities were present throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn: Madison Square Park held a Free University, where professors and students held lectures, protestors from Occupy Williamsburg crossed over into Manhattan on the Williamsburg bridge after facing cops at the entrance, a protest at the James A. Farley Post Office, a Guitarmy lead by Tom Morello, a march from Bryant Park to Union Square and May Day finally ended in Zuccotti Park, where the Occupy Wall Street movement began in New York City.