Occupy OKC protests at governor's mansion

Occupy OKC on way to governor's mansion 11-09-11

Yesterday evening on my way home from work I tried to stop by Occupy OKC's march on Governor Mary Fallin's official residence. My efforts didn't quite work the way I hoped they would. First, I didn't remember the location of the march, and when I arrived at the Oklahoma State Capitol about 6:30, no one was there.

Perplexed, I got back in my car at about 6:45 and continued driving west on Twenty Third Avenue. Soon I saw a string of protesters marching east on Twenty Third marching noisily but peacefully behind a US flag. I also saw the flashing lights of a police vehicle. I parked my car and tried to catch up on foot with the marchers. This took a few minutes, as I don't walk quite as fast as I used to.

I caught up with the demonstrators near the capitol.  There were between 25 and 30 protesters. Just as I arrived, I witnessed an interesting conversation between the marchers and the police officers (probably state police, but I'm not sure). They were discussing the specifics of the marchers' permit.

Occupy OKC marcher talking with officer

 I couldn't hear most of the conversation, but at the end of it, a member of the Occupy OKC group shook an officer's hand. Using the "human microphone," marchers told the police that they loved them, and thanked them for serving and protecting the community.

"You are part of us, just as we are part of you," the human microphone said. Although I am personally skeptical about the role the police as an institution play in our society, I was touched by this proclamation. The great potential of the Occupy movement is to bring together the vast majority of us who are ill-seved by the current corporatocracy.

Reassured that no harm was about to come to the demonstrators, I made my way back to my car and continued on to the regular weekly meeting of the Mary Daly feminist discussion group.

This USTREAM video seems to have been recorded in front of the governor's mansion.  According to the event listing on Facebook:

As a legislator, Mary Fallin voted in favor of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout that has destroyed our economy and sold our futures to the highest bidder. Her 2012 "balanced" budget includes cuts to the Departments of Education, Public Safety, Health and Human Services, and OETA--while refusing to raise taxes on the richest 1% of Oklahomans.