Thousands march in Occupy protests

2011-11-18 10

A demonstrator is taken down by police in Los Angeles as several hundred people march in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street.
In New York, more than 200 were arrested as police prevented protesters from shutting down the financial centre.
This crowd reached several thousand as it marched across the Brooklyn Bridge.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) ALISON KINNEY, PROTESTER, SAYING:
"Well, I think it's important to show that it's not just a few hundred people hanging out in Zuccotti Park, it's people from all over the city and coming from all over the country who are really committed to making sure that there's equal access to economic opportunity and justice for everyone in the country and not just for the one percent."
Protesters are angry that billions of dollars in bailouts were given to banks during the recession while average Americans suffer high unemployment and a struggling economy.
Last month more than 700 people were arrested during a similar march.
This day of action was seen as a test of the momentum of the two-month-old movement.
Lily Grimes, Reuters