Occupy protesters arrested after occupying Romney’s headquarters, Wells Fargo

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Photo: Paige Godden/Iowa State Daily

Megan Felt, an Occupy protester, is arrested at Wells Fargo in Des Moines after entering the building to speak with a manager of the bank. The protesters were upset that Wells Fargo has donated money to presidential campaigns. Three protesters were arrested for entering Wells Fargo. 

Paige Godden

Ten people were arrested after trying to occupy Mitt Romney’s campaign headquarters and Wells Fargo in Des Moines on Wednesday, Dec. 28.

About 100 people showed up to occupy but most stayed on the sidewalks.

The protestors hung a large sign that said, “Mitt took $61,000 from Wells Fargo.”

Romney’s headquarters, located one block east of Wells Fargo, was first to be occupied. Seven people stood in front of the doors at Mitt Romney’s headquarters and were arrested by Des Moines police.

According to an Occupy Des Moines Working Group news release, the people who were arrested at Romney’s headquarters were: Father Peter Dougherty, of Lansing , Mich.; Nathan Harrington, of Des Moines; Jennifer Marsh, of Iowa City; Anthony Willhide, of Plaquemines Parish, La.; Ed Bloomer, of Des Moines; Katie Rockey, of Des Moines; and Jalan Crossland, of Tensleep, Wyo.

Marti Doyle, from Linden, Iowa, who was participating in the Occupy movement but wasn’t arrested, said Rick Perry was her first choice to occupy because of his anti-gay ads that have been spreading across the state. However, she said there weren’t enough people to occupy his campaign.

She said she compromised for Romney because he is, “particularly far removed from you and I.”

“He doesn’t know. He can’t know,” Doyle said.

After cheering for the seven that were arrested, the group and the Des Moines police headed one block east to Wells Fargo, where three people entered the building.

While waiting for the police to bring out the three people, protesters chanted, “This is what democracy looks like,” “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out,” and “Wells Fargo go to jail, the people are too big to fail.”

Protesters claimed the three people were locked in the bank until the police arrived and never had a conversation with Wells Fargo.

The Des Moines police said the protesters spoke to a manager at the bank and were allowed to have a peaceful exchange before being arrested.

According to the Occupy Des Moines Working Group news release, the three people who were arrested at Wells Fargo were: Megan Felt, of Des Moines; Kathy Molitor, of Cazenovia, Wis.; and Renee Espeland, of Des Moines. 

Ryan Hirl, of Des Moines, said he was planning to occupy all of the candidates.

“All we have for candidates are… war mongers, people who don’t understand,” Hirl said.

He called the candidates bigots and said the Occupy movement is going to persist until there is a change in the system.

The Occupy Des Moines Working Group sent out a news release listing two demands for Romney’s campaign.

“You must give back your corporate campaign contributions, especially the ones from big banks like Wells Fargo. You must release your income tax information like the other candidates have, immediately,” the news release stated.

The news release also listed two demands for Wells Fargo.

“Stop giving corporate campaign contributions to politicians immediately,” the release said. “Fully disclose your income tax information including you state taxes.”