Occupy will march to Independence Mall

Occupy Philly will take to the streets again this weekend with a march at noon Friday from Rittenhouse Square to Independence Mall, where the group plans to spend much of Saturday and Sunday.

Occupy has been without a home since police evicted the group from Dilworth Plaza in late November, but members say they have been busy planting vegetable gardens on vacant lots and protesting Mayor Nutter's proposed ban on feeding the homeless in city parks.

"We have been doing a lot. It's been kind of nice. Not managing a camp 24/7 has really allowed us to be more productive in a sense," said Julia Alford-Fowler, who is helping to organize forthcoming events.

The Occupy movement began in New York as a protest against alleged Wall Street corruption and growing inequality, and quickly spread to other cities across the country.

This weekend marks the six-month anniversary of the start of Occupy Philly, and movement members said they wanted to mark the occasion with an interfaith service Friday evening. On Saturday, they will have games and other family activities as well as educational seminars on the Mall.

Alford-Fowler said that she was not sure how many people will attend, but that more than 100 had RSVP'd on the group's Facebook page.

She also said the group must still vote on whether to apply for a permit for the event. National Park Service rules require permits for groups of 26 or more.

Sleeping on the mall is not allowed, but Occupy plans to maintain a constant presence there over the weekend by having participants stay there in shifts.

Occupiers are also planning protests in West Philadelphia for May 1. The group is canvassing the neighborhood to find out what problems residents want them to draw attention to, said Amanda Geraci, an organizer there.

One possibility is protesting outside the site of the proposed new Police Headquarters at the former Provident Mutual Life Insurance Co. building at 46th and Market Streets in West Philadelphia.

Geraci said the group wanted to protest the city's decision to spend $9 million on design and schematic work for the new headquarters even as the city says it lacks funds for many other programs.