Occupying Wall Street, April 20, 2012

“Occupying Wall Street, April 20, 2012” Laura at Federal Hall. Laura was one of the youngest protesters, she was 17-years-old at the time. She had come from Pennsylvania to join the protest with her older brother. He was known to like to get in confrontations with the police and his bloodied head was featured in more than one tabloid. Federal Hall was the seat of the first United States Congress and where George Washington was sworn in as President. It is part of the US Parks Service. As a federal site it was beyond the reach of the NYPD and was conveniently located opposite the New York Stock Exchange. That spring, the protesters had wide sidewalks and the steps from which to protest. However, the National Park Service decided that more than 12 people on the steps at a time was a crowding hazard and set up barricades with National Park Service Police to enforce the rule change.