Protests against corporate greed and corruption are quickly spreading across the United States inspired by the Occupy Wall Street protest encampment in New York City. On Saturday, New York City police arrested more than 700 demonstrators on the Brooklyn Bridge. Many protesters say they were arrested after believing they had the approval of the police to march on the roadway instead of the pedestrian crossing. Despite the mass arrests, hundreds of activists continue to camp out in a park just blocks from Wall Street. Today is day 17 of the protest.

Jason, protester: “People are realizing that we are all one and it is our governments that work against us to keep everyone down. That’s how the one percent gets away with it, is by dividing us up and people not realizing we are all one. And that’s what this movement is about.”

Other occupations against Wall Street have popped up in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and numerous other cities. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., organizers are wrapping up months of planning for a major protest this week to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan. Tarak Kauff spoke about the protest during a visit to Occupy Wall Street last week.

Tarak Kauff, activist: “It starts on October 6th, 9:00 a.m, at Freedom Plaza, right in the middle of Washington, right off Pennsylvania Avenue, right between 13th and 14th Street, and it will continue. And we intend to stay there. And every day there will be—we’re starting out with a concert and a rally, and then there will be something, a nonviolent direct action. It will sort of target one of these aspects of corporate militarism that exists in Washington, D.C.”