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Hundreds of people have set up their tents in front of City Hall at Occupy LA since October 1st, spending the night each night, calling attention to the extent of corporate greed during the Great Recession. The rallying cry that 1% of Americans own nearly 40% of the nation’s wealth has struck a chord among the 99% of Americans that the protesters say they represent. Echoes of “we are the 99%” are being heard in all corners of the United States, and even other countries like Canada and the UK. Media coverage of the nationwide movement has raised crucial questions about wealth inequality and the impact of the recession on the majority of Americans. While the various occupy encampments have not necessarily articulated clear demands, some assert that there is broad unity over the general sentiment that the current economic reality is untenable, and that having demands could actually limit the movement toward reformist goals. On the surface, the Occupy movements are leaderless, using an innovative method of consensus decision making to come to agreement and foster democratic participation.

GUEST: Anastasia Krylov, chief food coordinator at Occupy LA