Lively Walnut Creek Rally Decries Threat to Democracy

A spunky lunchtime throng of 99 Percent protesters shouted slogans and sang songs in downtown Walnut Creek.

It was perhaps the largest protest in ; there were about 200 on the four corners of the intersection of Mount Diablo Boulevard and North Main Street, by a Walnut Creek Patch count at 12:10 p.m. Thursday.

The rally was organized by MoveOn.org, part of a national day of action targeted at the congressional "supercommittee" due to issue a report soon on tough economic decisions.

In Walnut Creek, there were several speeches by bullhorn. The crowd was entertained by a pair of singer-guitar pickers: Michael Sullivan of Lafayette and David Seaborg of Walnut Creek. They led group sings in protest favorites, including Give Peace a Chance.

"I decided to get involved in consciousness raising," said Sandy Ruliffson of Moraga, a MoveOn stalwart. "Things have gotten so bad. I see our democracy slipping away from us and I see our middle class slipping away from us."

The status quo is not going to cut it, said Ruliffson.

Speaking to the rally by bullhorn, Ruliffson said, "We demand an end to attacks on 99 Percent in New York, Oakland, San Francisco and Portland."

"We want a fair tax system," said Fran Connick, a nurse at Kaiser Walnut Creek and part of a red-shirted continent of nurses union reps at the MoveOn rally. "We want to work for a safe and healthy environment. We want equal access to public education. We want access to a secure retirement."

"We see it in our patients every day. We have to fight for our patients against corporations," Connick added, citing cost-cutting decisions that affect nurse staffing.