For many, turkey was replaced by ramen noodles, and a trek home for the holidays was pushed aside for a sleeping bag and a slab of hard ground. Some were in McPherson Square to rail against what they viewed as corporate greed, while others said they were merely passing the time.
Yet the one thing each seemed to embrace: This Thanksgiving would be memorable.
“I was supposed to go home,” said Tim O’Fallon, a paramedic from Boston, who has been a medic for the camp in recent weeks. “But plans went awry and now I’m here. I think it’s safe to call this the unique Thanksgiving experience of my life.”
On a day when the District was devoid of the usual nine-to-fivers, some Occupiers played chess; some meditated with their palms toward the sky; others simply took a nap just a few blocks from the White House.
Alejandro Rodriguez, from the Dominican Republic, traveled down to D.C. after being kicked out of New York City’s Zuccotti Park, the Occupy site Mayor Michael Bloomberg shut down last week.
“You can’t beat this,” he said, using an electric razor to the shave the neck of an older man. “It’s awesome. This cause, this movement — that’s what we’re celebrating today.”
Most Occupiers had their formal Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday night. But some scanned a list of venues — including homeless shelters — offering Thanksgiving meals.
“I’ll probably go eat there,” said Connecticut’s Koss Marino, pointing to a listing for food at the Central United Mission in Northwest. “What am I thankful for? I’m thankful that it’s not cold yet — because I probably wouldn’t be out here if it was.”
– Brian Hughes
