The intersection of Fayetteville and Morgan Street in downtown Raleigh became the home for Occupy Raleigh four weeks ago. Sometimes there was a crowd; sometimes only a meager number of people. But regardless of time and day, there have been people passionate enough about the cause to spend their time on the sidewalk.
The demographics of the activists and curious visitors vary dramatically.
“Every kind of person comes here,” Jess Cronmiller , a mother who has lived in Raleigh for ten years and has been involved with Occupy Raleigh from its inception, said. “I’ve met doctors. I’ve met homeless guys. I’ve met teachers, teenagers, college students, all races, all creeds, republicans, democrats, tea partiers, liberals, anarchists—everyone is here.”
Rachel Powell, a doctorate student in sociology, said the movement has incorporated people of all walks of life.
“We have people who have degrees with people who never got a chance to go to college,” Powell said. “There are people who work next to people who don’t. Minimum wage laborers next to professionals. You see all different types of ethnicities and nationalities. What’s interesting is the demographic shift depending on the time of day. During the day we have a bigger homeless population and at night, when the people who work are off work, we have a more middle class population.”
The reasons for joining the Occupy Raleigh movement do have a variety of backgrounds just like the diverse crowd of occupiers. Most activists don’t share similarities in their motivations.
“I want to help America realize that many Americans are suffering from inequality,” Keith Everett, a 23-year-old Southern Polytechnic State University graduate, said. “I became involved with Occupy Raleigh in the latter part of October after I learned more about the economy, banking system and government. I was motivated to come out and talk to those who shared my views.”
Cronmiller has views similar to Everett’s. She said she was motivated to come out because of inequality in opportunity and wealth in the United States.
“I know too many people who are suffering from that and I believe that Occupy Wall Street in general represents the view of 99 percent of the population that don’t have as much as the 1 percent. I heard of Occupy Wall Street online through some forums when it was first getting organized and my husband and I were thinking about doing it in Raleigh, but someone organized it first.”
Powell is no stranger to activism. In college, she started participating in gay rights activism, which resulted in her going on the 2006 Soulforce Equality Ride—a bus ride through the country to 20 different schools that had anti-gay policies. She later became active in women’s rights after working at a women’s health center. When she moved to Raleigh, her interest shifted to animal rights and class and equality.
“What motivated me was being a sociologist and knowing a lot of about inequality, having followed the economic crisis, and really understanding it in a way that most people are not equipped to understand it because of my sociology background,” Powell said. “Also being a sociology grad student, having very limited resources myself, it was a dove tailing of my personal and academic life.”
Cronmiller called the atmosphere a “big family” and said the surroundings of the base of Occupy Raleigh are friendly and safe.
“People are so willing to just talk and hang out and offer whatever resources they have to do,” Powell said. “That’s been one of the most awesome parts. People honk their horns at us and let us know they’re happy that we’re there. Total strangers drop off donuts or coffee. People have been really generous to us.”
The days at Occupy Raleigh are relatively calm and peaceful. Powell described the average day with people coming in and out of downtown, going to work and reading occupier signs. Passersby frequently stop to talk to protesters and drivers honk their horns in support or scream out insults at occupiers, according to Powell.
“There’s always sign making and political conversations going,” Powell said.
“It’s getting colder,” Everett said, “because the seasons are changing, but there are a lot of friendly people in Raleigh supporting us. There’s sometimes coffee, food, and clothes and we talk to people that are open to listening to us.”
However, nighttime tells a different story. According to Powell, the nights spent at the capital are up in the air.
“The cops have a little more leeway to do what they want with us since we’re fewer in number,” Powell said. “Sometimes it’s just a few people struggling in the cold and the wind, sometimes people have a dance party and they play music and dance.”
Police crackdowns have become part of Occupy Raleigh’s largest struggle.
“At night, it gets cold and a little scary because we get raided,” Cronmiller said. “The cops come out and tell us to do things. That’s usually when the action happens. They tell us to move our stuff here, move our stuff there, you can do this, stand up, sit down, don’t lay down, do lay down. There’s a lot of inconsistency.”
Powell said she hopes the changing rules and inconsistent jurisdiction will soon change.
“The mayor has picked up on what’s going on and has brought to the city council a question of why we have been arrested and making sure our first amendment rights haven’t been completely trampled,” Powell said. “Our biggest struggle has definitely been inconsistent police and lack of supplies.”
Last week, while Powell was protesting, police arrived at 8 a.m . and ordered protesters to rid of their supplies by 9, according to Powel l.
“The other morning was the first in quite a few days where they did not say that, and I think it’s because we had more people and they thought we weren’t as vulnerable,” Powell said.
Even though many of the protestors have given up sleep, warmth, health and time, in addition to dealing with the police, they believe it’s worth it in the end.
“Right now, we’re kind of waking Raleigh up,” Cronmiller said. “People haven’t been paying attention. You’re comfortable or you’re not and if you’re comfortable you don’t pay attention to who’s not, and now maybe you do. We’re looking at growth. We’d like to get bigger—get more attention and more people out here. We’ll be here as long as it takes.”
