Thousands of New York protesters marched for the second day in a row on Wall Street Saturday, calling for an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and more government aid for struggling working people, local TV channel NY1 reported.
The group United for Peace and Justice organized the event, which started at noon. The marching protesters carried signs and puppets and chanted as they went down Broadway, walked past the New York Stock Exchange, and ended up in Battery Park.
They also walked past companies that took federal money, including American International Group (AIG), which drew controversy for giving company executives bonuses after it received federal bailout money.
Protesters were reportedly expressing concerns about President Barack Obama's plan to remove troops from Iraq and relocate them to Afghanistan.
Everyone who attended the protest agreed that they were very concerned about the current state of the country, NY1 said.
Hundreds of angry New Yorkers on Friday protested against the bailout of Wall Street and banks, urging the U.S. government to care more about the people who need jobs and medical care.
Dubbed "The March on Wall Street: Bail Out The People Not The Banks," the protest attracted huge crowds of on-lookers although it was raining steadily almost the whole afternoon.
Police said four marchers who tried to block traffic by walking down the middle of Broadway were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2009)
