OccupyMN demonstrators hold fast
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About 160 Minnesotans showed solidarity with Wall Street protests against big banks and corporations, staying through the night in the Hennepin County Government Center Plaza.
Occupy Minnesota organizer Laurel Wales said demonstrators woke early Saturday morning when it started to sprinkle and took shelter. The rain subsided and by mid-day there were about 200 hundred people gathered at the plaza.
The local demonstration began Friday with about a thousand people protesting and marching.
Wales says demonstrators need more supplies, including prepared food, water, and sleeping bags. Minnesota organizers worked with police to arrange a possibly long-term occupation of downtown Minneapolis.
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Carla Beaudet said she stayed the night to lend credibility to the protest.
"I'm a schoolteacher. I'm 61 years old, I didn't want people thinking it's just the lunatic fringe progressives doing this or liberals." Beaudet said. "I want them to understand that it's normal people who feel this way and I'm a normal person.
Wales said Occupy Minnesota organizers are discussing ways to encourage more people to join the protests. They plan to canvass and post fliers throughout downtown.
"Translators is another big thing,include everybody in the process and there are some people here who don't speak English and we need as many people people to do the translations for us."
