Members of “Occupy Philadelphia” debate where to protest

Philadelphia soon could see demonstrations like the ones on Wall Street protesting financial greed and corruption.  Tonight “Occupy Philadelphia” is meeting to hammer out plans.

Jon Laing, with the group “Occupy Philadelphia” said there are a few possible occupation sites, including Rittenhouse Square, Love Park, Ben Franklin Parkway, and City Hall. “We’re trying to keep on state ground,” said Laing.  “The legal team highly recommended that we did that.  We’re going to put it to a vote tonight at 6:30.”Laing said Philadelphia is a natural location for the protest.”We’re troving through the Constitution to find things that really hammer home what this whole movement is, and bringing everything back to the people,” said Laing.  “We fought against the tyranny of the English empire and not having a say in our government and we established a democracy which has been taken away from us, from a different kind of tyranny.”In response to criticism calling the Philadelphia group disorganized and unfocused, Laing said Occupy Philadelphia is new and it makes decisions democratically.

Occupy Philadelphia’s Jon Laing said the Philadelphia group is taking its time to plan before hitting the streets.  “Some people think that we’re like violent renegades or anti-cop and that’s absolutely not what we’re about,” he said.  “It’s all been inspired by the demonstrations in Cairo on Tahrir Square and so we’re basically employing that technique of just an occupation, to make change.

In New York, Occupy Wall Street demonstrations have lead to mass arrests.  Similar campaigns have started across the country.