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Occupy LA protesters face the rain and the City Council
Activists protesting corporate greed who have been camped out in front of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement hold placards in the rain as office workers walk past on October 5, 2011. According to the private payrolls firm ADP, US companies added a meager 91,000 jobs last month with the number of jobs in the service and goods-producing sectors rising, while manufacturing jobs ebbed.
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Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
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Wednesday's rain and colder temperature presented the Occupy L.A. protesters with its first bit of weather-driven adversity. The protesters have been camped out since Oct. 1 in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street protesters.
The protesters seemed prepared for the weather. There were around 40 people out of their tents and a clutch of zipped-up shelters.
The protesters got a break to go inside during a Los Angeles City Council meeting Wednesday as council members took turns praising the protest. The council has authored a resolution in support of the movement. The council will vote on the movement early next week.
The protesters are working to secure permits for a long-term stay.
Rudy Rodriguez from Whittier, Calif. helps run the medical tent at the Occupy L.A. campsite. He said they have stockpiled tarps, socks and handwarmers.
"Right now, our primary duty during the rain is to make sure people are warm and dry," Rodriguez said. "The reason being is to keep their mental and physical state up. And that's only going to allow them to retain their presence here longer."
Tina Dupuy of Los Angeles is the managing editor of liberal blog Crooks and Liars. She was inspired by pizza deliveries organized for the Wisconsin teacher rallies. She's now collected about $10,000 in pizza donations for the Occupy movement through her blog.
"Here's the thing with the pizzas," Dupuy said. "You eat the pizza it's hot and it's delicious. You use the pizza box as a protest sign. I will deliver pizza out here until people go home. We are still getting donations."
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