Man Shot at Occupy Wall Street Protest in Vermont
A 35-year-old man was shot Thursday at an Occupy Wall Street event in Burlington, Vermont. The man was gravely wounded, but not killed.
The circumstances of the shooting are still being investigated but officials say neither the community nor protesters are in danger of further violence.
The shooting was reported around 2 p.m., officials say. The gunshot was accidental and possibly self-inflicted, according to reports from the local CBS affiliate.
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The victim’s name cannot be released until the family has been notified. A friend of the victim told AP that he did not know the victim’s last name - only that they had both been at the event for over a week.
The Vermont protest is based out of an encampment in City Hall Park. The encampment was erected at the end of last month.
The city had threatened to evict the protesters because the park is closed from midnight to 6 a.m. Local government decided to let the protesters stay, however.
Since the shooting, over two dozen tents have remained in the park. There is now police tape around the scene.
Occupy Wall Street began in September in New York’s Zuccotti Park. Protesters claim they’ve had enough of corporate greed and are demanding accountability from the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.
The movement has since spread to cities across the U.S. Burlington, with a population of over 40,000, is Vermont’s largest city. It is known for its liberal political tendencies.
There is no word from officials whether the incident will spur local government to evict protesters from the park.
