INDIANAPOLIS - Hundreds of protesters gathered downtown as part of the "Occupy Indianapolis" protest Saturday. The group is capturing a moment that started on Wall Street.
The group gathered on Veterans Memorial Plaza early Saturday and some said they were staying all night.
"This is not about right vs. left," said one protester.
Most carried signs with sayings like "Stop the war on workers" and "Stop corporate greed," all claiming to be part of the "99 percent." That group, meaning everyone in the country except the wealthiest one percent, is the cohesive message the crowd stood behind. Their intention is to occupy space where they will be heard.
"This is the occupation of Indianapolis. We just want our slice of the pie back from corporate America. We want health insurance and living wages," said one man.
Many in the group had different answers as to why they were attending the protest.
"I'm a true American and we do have freedom of speech," a protester said.
"We will not be divided by religion anymore. We will not be divided by politics. We are here to join together that we are no longer going to be slaves to debt," said another protester.
The speakers say it is not about jobs, but it is about everything that creates jobs.
"How can we owe money to China, when this is a free country? How can capitalism work when we owe money to China, when we are borrowing money from China. That is not capitalism," a woman at the event said.
Throughout the afternoon, the crowd occupied Veterans Memorial Plaza, then Monument Circle and back again, before landing on the south steps of the Indiana Statehouse, where they intended to stay the night.
"I think we need to take America back," said one protester.
The Associated Press estimated the crowd as more than 1,000 protesters.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)
