The ongoing demonstration against Wall Street was given a big boost Wednesday in New York, as thousands of union members joined the street-level campaign against economic inequality.
The protest movement is also spreading to other cities across the U.S., and there are plans to bring similar demonstrations to Canadian cities.
In New York, the demonstrators have pointed to the gulf between the million-dollar bonuses of Wall Street and the high unemployment in the U.S. Protesters have also decried the state of the American economy, which appears to be headed back into recession.
Demonstrations began in Manhattan about three weeks ago, initially attracting a younger demographic.
Partially inspired by the mass populist movements that shook the Middle East earlier this year, the New York-based protest has been generally non-hierarchical in nature, and organizers have used "horizontal" working groups in a nod to their political affiliations.
Yet, the key themes of inequality and political dissatisfaction have been readily apparent, according to CTV's Joy Malbon.
"One message that seems to come through loud and clear is anger and frustration at corporate greed and Wall Street," she said, reporting from Manhattan.
Malbon added that another key theme has been the "broken system" in Washington, which has been unable to make any progress in fixing the economy and addressing what is seen as growing economic disparity.
That sentiment was articulated by the union involvement in the protest on Wednesday, along with growing numbers of the unemployed.
According to the chief of the United Federation of Teachers, the unions and the young activists who started the protest share many of the same goals. They also share many of the same grievances, including a taxation system that has been criticized for giving the rich a free ride.
"The middle class is taking the burden but the wealthiest of our state and country are not," said Sterling W. Roberson.
Throughout the day, the numbers of protesters swelled. Some carried flag-coloured signs reading "Rebuild America" and "Tax Wall Street," and many came from out of state.
In one example, nurses came to New York from cities like Boston and Chicago: where city-specific protests could also grow in the coming days.
"Tax Wall Street," said National Nurses United co-president Karen Higgins. "Those who make all the money need to start paying their fair share."
Higgins added that some of her patients have started skipping vital medical appointments because of money issues.
Along with the key economic themes, there have also been environmental protesters and a collection of other demonstrators. Some analysts have compared the protest to a left-wing version of the Tea Party: an amorphous, popular movement without any clear leadership or explicit political goal.
The Occupy Wall Street movement began in earnest on Sept. 17, when a few dozen people attempted to pitch tents near the New York Stock Exchange.
In the days since, many more hundreds have come to camp in Zuccotti Park, which is located nearby. And with the growing numbers has come greater organization, with some demonstrators lining up onsite medical aid and creating a specialized newspaper.
The protests could continue to swell into the weekend, despite police making more than 700 arrests since the demonstrations began.
According to Roxanne Pauline, who travelled to Manhattan with members of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Area Labour Federation, many of her members will stay in Zuccotti Park over the weekend
"They'll teach the younger people what unions are -- that they're not thugs or mobsters, but working people," she said.
Meanwhile, organizers are launching similar events in Canadian cities, with the group Occupy Toronto setting a protest launch date for Saturday, Oct. 15.
On the group's Facebook page, organizers say that the intention is to "non-violently" send a message to the global financial sector about inequality.
Similar events are planned in Vancouver, Ottawa and Calgary.
