AFL-CIO 'Extremely Alarmed' By Occupy Wall Street Arrests

By Andrea Salazar

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka responded to the recent mass arrests of Occupy Wall Street protestors Thursday, calling them a “tremendous dishonor to America.”

Protestors at an Occupy Oakland demonstration clashed with police Wednesday as did protestors in Atlanta. More than 100 people were arrested in Oakland and 53 in Atlanta.

“The Occupy Wall Street movement has elevated the national conversation by shining overdue attention on the struggles of the 99 percent for whom the economy is broken,” Trumka said in a statement. “When people can’t raise their voices around pervasive inequality, there is a fundamental problem with how we’re functioning as a nation.”

Trumka urged officials to follow in New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s footsteps and refrain from disbanding peaceful protests.

“We urge all elected leaders across the country to enable peaceful protestors to continue to exercise their most American of rights,” Trumka said.