Occupy Wall Street Goes Zombie Today

The Occupy Wall Street protests are going into their third week, as demonstrations spread to cities like Boston, Melbourne, Montreal and Prague.

Today, one of the demonstration’s designated spokespeople, Patrick Bruner, urged protestors to dress as zombies and engage in some banker mockery as protests stretch into day 16. A directive regarding the zombie initiative indicated:

Everyone come dressed as a corporate zombie! This means jacket and tie if possible, white face, fake blood, eating monopoly money, and doing a slow march, so when people come to work on Monday in this neighborhood they see us reflecting the metaphor of their actions. Tell your friends, Facebook it, Twitter it, and it can be MJ Thriller-style too! Create a different image than police brutality!

(Someone should really send those people some gold coins, at least.) Gawker points out that the zombie thing might be a bit casual for a protest with some serious goals, and suggested an opposite tactic:

You guys should all put on spotless tailored suits, slick back your hair, and march around Zuccotti Park in neat rows, shouting into cell phones about your investments. That would make a statement, and also shut up all the “dirty stinky hippie”-haters, at least for a day or so.

The protests have been gaining traction as they wear on, with some high profile names lending support and visiting the site of the demonstrations. Susan Sarandon, Michael Moore, Dr. Cornell West and Russell Simmons have all visited, and on his Twitter account, Alec Baldwin tweeted the video of the protesters getting maced- calling the clip “unsettling” and adding that the NYPD has a “PR problem.” Van Jones also appeared on Real Time With Bill Maher last week, saying he was “so proud” of the young people standing up to be heard.

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