He stepped out, introduced himself, passed out some business cards and then skirted away. The gentleman in question was an associate from Iowa Bail Bonds, and business was about to be booming. They encircled the entrance to the Iowa State Capitol building, and then expelled 30 state troopers and Des Moines police; who silently took their positions around the anxious crowd. Brandishing handcuffs and plastic Wrist Restraints, police faced off against 100 unarmed activists from Occupy Des Moines, who had entrenched themselves on the Capitol steps. The beige horn-rimmed glasses, blue button-down shirt and unkempt, grandfatherly hair made him an unlikely sight for a Sunday afternoon protest, but his sign got his point across quick enough. Around 300 individuals showed up to vent their frustration with Washington, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, big business, snow plow routes and pretty much anything else that came to mind. The crowd was an even mix of age groups, varying from college age activists to those similar to Strong. Occupy Des Moines is part of the Occupy Iowa movement, a series of protests that have sprung up across the state. The Occupy movement has gained legs nationwide, spreading to major U. Closer to the capital was pocket of signs that read “We Are The 99%. The signs are designed to speak against the richest 1 percent of Americans who control a majority of the nation’s wealth. Nearest the street was an enclave of peace activists clutching anti-war posters. Scattered in the middle was a handful of Ron Paul for president enthusiasts. And around the right-hand side were various groups comprised of everybody else who couldn’t find a place to call home. State and federal financial aid for students has been dramatically cut in the past few years as the government attempts to tighten its belt and slash the ballooning federal deficit. The only thing that everyone agreed on was that there needed to be a dramatic change in Washington. Everyone had a unique, passionate and idealistic vision for what they believed America could be. By the time the police had arrived that night the group had coalesced around the idea of the 99 percent, an active majority fighting for the rights of working Americans. With suggestions from the crowd, she put together a finance, legal, communications, food, electric and sanitation committee. They brought tents, food and medical supplies and had decided that they were going to stay indefinitely, until their demands were met or they were arrested. This is what democracy looks like, the young woman holding the sign is right. Wrist Restraint