Others brought camping gear.
Occupy Olympia began Saturday afternoon in Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia.
“I think that the overall message is that people are dissatisfied with income inequality,” said Jacob Gellman, a 20-year-old University of Puget Sound student who also participated in the Occupy Tacoma march earlier in the day.
Both events were part of a series of anti-capitalism demonstrations going on around the globe in support of Occupy Wall Street in New York.
Organizers estimated hundreds gathered for a noontime rally sponsored by the Olympia Chapter of MoveOn.Org. Washington State Patrol spokesman trooper Guy Gill said that about 100 people stayed after the park was closed at 7 p.m.
Troopers planned to close the park at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Olympia’s event was organized by a collective made up of activists from numerous groups. Volunteers worked to provide many of the behind-the-scenes services for demonstrators such as food, child care, first aid, legal support and building shelter.
“There’s no single organizing force,” said Audrey Daye, who helped run a first aid station. “Everyone who wants to have a voice has one.”
Leslie Tikka, 42, of Olympia described the national movement as “an awakening” to corporate greed.
“It doesn’t matter what people are saying. They’re being aware; they’re waking up,” she said.
Joan McKinney of Olympia sat in a camping chair and waved a sign to motorists driving on Capitol Way that read “Save Social Security for Our Children.”
She said she’s been following Occupy Wall Street, and that she’s tired of all the political decisions that are eliminating the middle class.
Occupy Olympia was the first-ever protest for McKinney, 74.
“I decided it was important enough – I’d better get out here,” she said.
Elsewhere, 3,000 or more crammed into Seattle’s Westlake Park on Saturday before marching to the city’s Pike Place Market, where about 200 sat down in the middle of First Avenue and blocked traffic for about 10 minutes.
Protests also took place Saturday in Yakima, Spokane and Vancouver.
Lisa Pemberton: 360-754-5433
lpemberton@theolympian.com
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
