There are plenty of young people at Occupy Wall Street, but the protests are not just a young man's game.
Jin Zhao and Teresa CotsirilosDon’t let the part-time puppeteers and shaggy 20-somethings fool you—Occupy Wall Street is not just for the young. Chris, 72, emigrated to the States from Ireland when she was 15. Though she is comfortably retired with a pension, she was motivated to protest by her concern for her grandchildren’s future, and her admiration for the Arab Spring.
Chris was one of the first people we talked to, when the movement was under-reported in general and almost completely ignored in the mainstream media. As Chris noted, "much of the media is irresponsible for not covering things like this." That was a week ago. Since then we have seen how fast OWS has been gaining ground and media attention. However, many mainstream media, a. k. a. corporate media, have simply progressed from ignoring to mocking the protests. Things have certainly changed, but the battle, on the street or in the newsroom, is still going on. Read The Nation‘s response to this after yesterday’s massive rally at Foley Square in New York City and watch more of our video interviews.
-Jin Zhao and Teresa Cotsirilos
Jin ZhaoJin Zhao grew up in Kunming, Southwest China and received her MA in Communication from Georgia State University. Her broad interests range from progressive politics in the US, globalization issues and new media, to arts, cultures and music. She currently works as a web intern, journalist and producer at The Nation.
Teresa CotsirilosTeresa Cotsirilos is a Berkeley native who may or may not have once declared her awkward love to Jonathan Franzen in a coffee shop. She has sold pirate supplies in San Francisco, ill-advisedly irritated soldiers in Jerusalem, and taught Sex Ed in rural Namibia with nothing but condoms, determination, and a large hand-drawn diagram. A Harvard graduate, she has written extensively for Salon.com, Let's Go Travel Guides, and American Girl. She currently works as a web intern, journalist and producer at The Nation.