CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The decision Wednesday to reinsert language about God and Jerusalem into the Democratic Party platform may have been just what Occupy protesters here at the Democratic National Convention have been waiting for.
Following the controversial ruling, one frustrated young delegate — Daniel McKenzie from Minnesota — sought out the Occupy encampment at nearby Marshall Park to not only voice his displeasure with the decision, but also to walk with the protesters that evening in support of their cause.
One protester from the Occupy movement, who goes by “Kurt,” gleefully told TheDC in the early hours of the morning that during the march, McKenzie not only walked with the Occupiers while still dressed in his suit, but briefly left the march to bring back four more delegates.
After last week’s Occupy protests in Tampa, which ended with a protester in tears over frustration at the perceived failure of the movement to advance any of its goals, McKenzie’s support was viewed as a significant achievement.
By contrast, the protesters in Tampa mocked a Ron Paul delegate from Nevada who came out to debate them.
“Kurt” cheered McKenzie’s defection from Democratic Party ranks.
“Chalk that one up in the victory column,” he said, wearing the emblematic Guy Fawkes mask that has since become a popular symbol of protest and dissension.
“This is just the first crack in the ice,” he said. “They’re mine.”
Videography by Grae Stafford