"I'm not against capitalism, just greed…and I'm here to do my part to save Democracy from greed," said Steve Firkins, a therapist from Black River Falls. He, along with many others from all walks of life, have continued to gather each Saturday and some weeknights in Cameron Park as part of the Occupy La Crosse movement. Like their counterparts in cities across the country, these protestors intend to continue the movement that initially gained media and pubic attention in September.

To recap, the "Occupy" movement, though its aims seem unclear to many, seeks to reduce economic and social inequality, reduce corporate greed and influence, and decrease the influence of money in politics. The movement began on Sept. 17 in New York City, and soon spread. Occupy La Crosse began in Cameron Park on Oct. 15, a "global day of occupation."

Although the protestors in La Crosse are unsure about what to do once it starts snowing, they intend to continue their demonstrations. Kevin Hundt, a former UW-La Crosse student, does not believe snow will stop them. "If we had 100,000 people at the Capitol last winter during a blizzard, we can get people for this," said Hundt. More people have begun to join them as the weeks go by. There were 38 people at the General Assembly on Oct. 15 and about 50-70 people usually come in the course of the Saturday afternoon demonstrations, which run from about 2-7 p.m.

Most reactions to the protest have been positive, with many cars honking and people stopping to talk. However, on three separate occasions, people driving by threw firecrackers out of their car windows at those assembled in the park. This didn't stop anyone. "We've had a hundred times as many honks of support as derogatory comments," said Hundt.

People have many different reasons to be there and protestors come from all political backgrounds. Dae Miles, a longtime political activist, considers himself neither Democrat nor Republican. "I'm here because I'm against [the 1 percent's] monopoly of land and resources. The wealthiest 1 percent owns half the country," said Miles.

On the other hand, Kyle Jakubowski, a junior at Winona State University whose heavily involved with his college's progressive group, said he was there because he "empathizes with the 99 percent," the term for the large portion of the country aside from the wealthiest 1 percent. "I'm being showered in student debt and the job market is terrible. I'll have $80,000 in debt and difficulty finding a job," said Jakubowski.

Jakubowski encourages students to come to protest on Saturdays in Cameron Park because, "Students need to think about their economic situation. They'll be penniless once they graduate because there are too few people taking too many dollars."

While "there's a vacuum of clear direction for the Occupy movement," said Hundt, people are simply protesting because they are frustrated with the current political system. This frustration doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Neither are the protestors.