Occupy Protests Live Blog

Photo: AFP

Al Jazeera staff and correspondents update you on important developments from Wall Street and around the world as the 'Occupy' financial crisis protests go viral.

Al Jazeera is not responsible for content derived from external sites.

AJE Live Stream - Special Coverage: #OccupyWallStreet 

2 hours 14 min ago - South Korea

A protester holds a candle and a sign during the "Occupy Seoul" rally near the Seoul Plaza in central Seoul October 15, 2011.
About 1,000 people rallied in the evening on Saturday in support of the worldwide cry of rage against bankers, financiers and politicians they accuse of ruining global economies and condemning millions to poverty and hardship through greed.
Protesters also protested against South Korea-US free trade agreement (FTA) which, they insisted, will make common people sink into privation and conglomerates be well-off. Korean characters read,"Stop South Korea-US FTA!" [Reuters]

Tags Occupy Protests, Occupy Seoul, Occupy Wall Street

4 hours 40 min ago - Hong Kong

Our journalists in Hong Kong say that more than 200 people occupied Exchange Square in Central Hong Kong, where demonstrators pitched tents to facilitate their overnight stay there.
Later on Saturday, protesters migrated to the HSBC building and staged demonstrations and forums there, they said.

Tags Exchange Square, HSBC, Occupy HK, Occupy Protests, Oct15

5 hours 6 min ago - London

Europe braces itself for a day of coordinated "occupy" protests expressing solidarity with the "Occupy Wall Street" movement in New York.

Al Jazeera's Simon Mcgregor-Wood reports from London where protesters are expected to produce the day's biggest turn out and stage a sit in at the stock exchange.

Tags Occupy LSX, Occupy Protests, Oct15, Simon Mcgregor Wood

6 hours 2 min ago - Asia

Watch Al Jazeera's round-up of occupy protests in Asia:

Tags Occupy Protests, Occupy Wall Street, Oct15, Sydney

6 hours 17 min ago - Manila

About 100 members of Bayan, an alliance of various left-wing groups in the Philippines, marched to the US Embassy in Manila, the Philippine capital, waving banners that read: "Down with US imperialism" and "Philippines not for sale", broadcaster APTN reported.
According to the report:

Demonstrators expressed their support for the Occupy Wall Street protests and denounced what they called "US imperialism" and US-led wars and aggression.
They also chanted "US troops, out now!" in reference to the presence of hundreds of US soldiers, mostly in the country's south, involved in training Filipino troops.
One man carried a placard reading "Genuine people's democracy lives in the streets".

Tags Bayan, Occupy Protests, Oct15, Philippines, US embassy

6 hours 24 min ago - Taipei

Over 100 people gathered at the Taipei 101 skyscraper, home to the stock exchange, chanting "we are Taiwan's 99 percent", saying economic growth had only benefited companies while middle-class salaries barely covered soaring housing, education and healthcare costs, Reuters reported.
Top businessman Morris Chang, chairman of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (TSMC), expressed support for Occupation Taipei, saying that Taiwan's income gap is a serious issue.
Speaking to reporters in the northern city of Hsinchu, Chang said:

I've been against the gap between rich and poor. The wealth of the top 1 percent has increased very fast in the past 20, 30 years. "Occupy Wall Street" is a reaction to that. We have to take the issue seriously.

Tags Occupy Protests, OccupyTaipei, Oct15, reuters, Taipei 101

6 hours 27 min ago - Melbourne

Nick Carson, a spokesman for Occupy Melbourne, said about 1,000 protesters gathered in the Australian city:

They don't want corporate influence over their politicians. They want their politicians to be accountable.

In this YouTube video, protesters explain why they choose to "occupy" Melbourne's City Square:

Tags Australia, Occupy Protests, OccupyMelbourne, Oct15

6 hours 42 min ago - Christchurch

About 200 gathered in the capital Wellington and 50 in a park in New Zealand's earthquake-hit southern city of Christchurch, Reuters reported.
@MissusRevington tweeted the following photo of stylish protesters at Occupy Christchurch:

Tags New Zealand, Occupy Christchurch, Occupy Protests, Oct15

7 hours 27 min ago - Auckland

Several hundred people marched up the main street in Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, joining a rally in the city square where about 3,000 chanted and banged drums, denouncing corporate greed, Reuters news agency reported.
Tweets speak of speeches being delivered at Augland's Aotea Square, where a dozen tents are being erected.
There are differing reports about police presence there, though the consensus is that security is minimal.

h_yd_nSpeakers forum now closed for the day. People about to erect tents. Not one police officer in Aotea Square. #OccupyAucklandSat Oct 15 04:19:43

h_yd_nA dozen tents being erected in Aotea Square. #OccupyAuckland http://t.co/cA7rCKdPSat Oct 15 04:39:10

DylanReeveTook a wee peak at #OccupyAuckland when I was in town - all seems very low key. A few police and security around, but no trouble.Sat Oct 15 08:15:14

h_yd_nThe first General Assembly of #OccupyAuckland http://t.co/XxkVl7jXSat Oct 15 03:16:31

Tags New Zealand, Occupy Protests, OccupyAuckland

7 hours 46 min ago - Hong Kong

Scenes from the Occupy Hong Kong protest in Central Hong Kong's Exchange Square, where major banks are located . (Photos by Cho Yu, Eric Lai and SF Choi, via Occupy Central 佔領中環)

Tags China, HSBC, Occupy Hong Kong, Occupy Protests, Oct15  

8 hours 3 min ago - Global

United for #GlobalChange says there will be "non violent protests" against "the ruling powers [working] for the benefit of just a few" in 951 cities of 82 countries.
Click here to view the UGC's interactive map of occupy protest locations and events.

Tags GlobalChange, Occupy Protests, Occupy Wall Street, Oct15

8 hours 25 min ago - Taipei

Protesters of Occupy Taipei are staging a sit in at Taipei 101, a landmark skyscraper of the Taiwanese capital. (Photo via Occupy Taipei's Facebook page)

Tags Occupy Protests, Occupy Taipei, Taipei 101, Taiwan

8 hours 34 min ago - Sydney

This photo by @dooolism shows a sign at the Occupy Sydney protest in the city's Liberty Square:

Tags Australia, Occupy Protests, Occupy Sydney, Tahrir Square

8 hours 50 min ago - Seoul

#OccupyYeouido protesters in the rainy South Korean capital Seoul stage a performance in front of the Financial Services Commission.
In this picture by @zoozoo_zoo, many activists are sporting Guy Fawkes masks and carrying signs that read "People are worth more than money".

Tags Occupy Protests, Occupy Yeouido, Oct15, South Korea

8 hours 58 min ago - Seoul

South Korean journalist and activist @dongjin9184 tweets the poster calling for a protest at Yeouido, Seoul's financial district.
The poster reads:

The 99% that resists against the 1% that financially exploits.
Let's occupy Yeouido.
October 15, 2011, 2PM
At the Financial Services Commission in Yeouido

Tags Occupy Protests, Occupy Yeouido, South Korea

9 hours 26 sec ago - Tokyo

HirokoTabuchiAbout 200 people marching in Shinjuku, anti-nuke/poverty slogans, "We're with you, #OccupyWallStreet!" #OccupyTokyo http://t.co/60T8KsyiSat Oct 15 06:40:43

HirokoTabuchiAlso: "Radioactivity has no borders. To the world from Japan: SORRY!" #occupytokyo http://t.co/wcrw4xJwSat Oct 15 06:43:18

Tags Japan, nuclear, Occupy Protests, Occupy Tokyo

9 hours 2 min ago - Tokyo

New York Times reporter Hiroko Tabuchi is tweeting that there is heavy police and security presence at the Occupy Tokyo protests despite a "tiny turnout".

HirokoTabuchiSecurity intense at #OccupyTokyo despite tiny turnout. Public security officials in the bushes: http://t.co/QWCBz4hISat Oct 15 03:25:35

Tags Hiroko Tabuchi, Japan, Occupy Protests, Occupy Tokyo, police

9 hours 12 min ago - Melbourne

In this image from the Occupy Melbourne website, Australian protesters are seen picketing signs and gathering for a rally.

Tags Australia, Occupy Protests, Occupy Wall Street, Oct15

9 hours 28 min ago - New York

Protesters of the Occupy Wall Street movement saw a feat when the New York City government postponed their plans to carry out a clean up operation - an attempt to evict the demonstrators from Zucotti Park near New York's financial district.
Watch the report below by Al Jazeera's Cath Turner from Manhattan:

Tags Michael Bloomberg, New York, Occupy Protests, Occupy Wall Street

9 hours 32 min ago - Global

Protesters worldwide are set to join the Occupy Wall Street movement for a cry of rage against bankers, financiers and politicians they accuse of ruining global economies and condemning millions to poverty and hardship through greed.
Dozens of cities across the world - from Tokyo to Alaska via London, Frankfurt and Washington - will be seeing demonstrations on Saturday, in solidarity with the rallies that began last month in downtown New York.
Read our story on the global #Oct15 "United for #GlobalChange" movement for more.

Tags GlobalChange, Occupy Protests, Oct15, Tokyo