The New Orleans Arena is normally a stop for musicians on their world tours. But Oct. 6, it became a stop for another world tour­­—Occupy Wall Street.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is a campaign created by Adbusters, a non-profit anti-consumerist magazine. The organization’s official website describes the movement as “a people-powered movement for democracy” to rid democracy of its corporate spending culture. Starting Sept. 17, New York protestors occupied the surrounding areas of Wall Street.

Occupy New Orleans, the localized version of the protest, organizes, publicizes and supports New Orleans residents who want to join the Occupy Wall Street movement, according to the group’s Facebook page.

Josh Warren, political science sophomore and president of Loyola National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, promoted the New Orleans event by passing out flyers and holding a large handmade banner in front of McAlister Drive the day before the demonstration. Warren said his support for the movements came from a desire to see the country united.

“It’s not about ‘-isms’ or groups,” he said. “It’s about people in the country coming together. We’ve got a failing economy, political corruption, all caused by our corrupt financial system.”

Brendan Aman, history freshman and NORML member, helped Warren spread the word.

“It doesn’t matter what your political background is. You’re a human being and you have rights,” Aman said.

The New Orleans protest began Thursday Oct. 6 at noon in front of the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court on Tulane Avenue and continued to Lafayette Square at around 1 p.m. There, the demonstrators gathered around the statue of Henry Clay and began expressing their concerns.

“If it weren’t for anger, I wouldn’t be here,” said Tulane graduate David Novak.

Novak said that even with his degree, he has to wait tables to pay bills, not knowing when he will get another job.

“The last time everyone worked until they died, that was slavery,” Novak said.

As the protestors marched to City Hall, some of them started a call-and-response echoing the Saints cheer. “Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say they gonna run this country?”

Around 2:30 p.m., protestors went through the entrance to New Orleans City Hall, cramming the main entrance and demanded to see Mayor Mitch Landrieu. They chanted, “We want Mitch! We want Mitch!”

The occupation of Duncan Plaza began shortly after 2:35 p.m., with participants bringing tents, food and medical supplies.

Alex Davis can be reached at [email protected]