Winston-Salem, NC – 200 people demonstrated on the sidewalk in front of the Bank of America branch in Winston-Salem on Oct. 15. For three hours the protesters rallied against Wall Street and the big banks, exposing the Bank of America’s misuse of bailout money, as well as the ongoing loss of jobs in Winston-Salem and the rest of North Carolina, where unemployment is over 10%.

The protest received enormous support from those passing by, with drivers honking their horns and holding clenched fists out their windows and sunroofs. Local firefighters waved fists and honked in solidarity as they drove past.

A.J. Bridgeman, who traveled almost an hour to stand in support of Occupy Winston-Salem stated, “This event is amazing. For the first time in my life I’ve finally felt that North Carolina is fighting back against all these injustices that have been taking place these last years. There’s great potential here and I can’t wait for the next demonstration.”

Despite the hot sun beaming down, for the entire three hours, all 200 activists chanted as one, “The people united, we’ll never be defeated,” “We are the 99%,” and “Tell me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like!” Organizers of Occupy Winston-Salem handed out free water and donated food to help keep people going.

After the demonstration ended, several activists met at Miller Park to evaluate the demonstration and plan for a general assembly. The next Occupy Winston-Salem demonstration will be held in Miller Park.

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