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Syracuse, NY – The Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City has spread to other cities across the country including Syracuse.

Since Sunday afternoon from three to 10 people have occupied a small encampment in Perseverance Park on South Salina Street near the main Centro bus stop. The group has a Facebook page called Occupy Syracuse.

The movement encompasses people representing many different organizations, from those that support Ron Paul’s candidacy for president to the Answer Coalition, said Scott McGroty, 36, of Oswego, this morning.

“We’re trying to do our part to show solidarity for those occupying Wall Street,” he said. McGroty wore polarized sunglasses, a winter hat with flaps and gloves as he sat in a lawn chair under a blue tarp.

“We’ve got to fight back against the attack on working people and poor people,” said Derek Ford, 26, of Syracuse, from the Answer Coalition—Act Now to Stop War and End Racism.

The three-week old Occupy Wall Street movement calls itself a leaderless movement of people of many political persuasions that will no longer tolerate greed and corruption. The protest has been centered in Manhattan. It made news this weekend when about 700 people were arrested in a march across the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Syracuse movement chose to camp on Salina Street because it is in the center of what could be called the city’s financial district, McGroty said.

Stockbroker Merrill Lynch is across the street from the encampment. Chase Bank is behind. The Bank of America is about a block to the north on Salina Street and Citizens Bank is a block away.



The entourage this morning included McGroty, Ford and Ron Paul supporter Phil Muka, 24, of Cortland. A man who said he was homeless and called himself Ithrem the Psychedelic Cowboy also sat in a chair under the tarp.



A small propane stove was on a table in front of them, and a small domed tent was nearby.

Members of the grassroots movement have vowed to stay at the encampment as long as it takes the country to change its policies, McGroty said.