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OCTOBER 6, 2011

Occupy Wall Street, but First Call Your Mother

Life At Zuccotti Park Is Part Protest, Part Survival

Sixteen days ago, Zubeyda Akil brought a few belongings to Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan. She had a sleeping bag, an air mattress, a few changes of clothes and a cellphone.

At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, she was just waking up, slowly stuffing those few belongings into a plastic garbage bag. A fellow protestor from Occupy Wall Street brought her a cup of coffee from Dunkin' Donuts.

Ms. Akil concedes life on this 33,000-square-foot slab of concrete and granite isn't easy. One night, she tried to sleep uncomfortably near a planter just north of Joie de Vivre, a nearly two-story high modern sculpture by Mark de Severo that looks like a giant, tangled X.

The morning was clear, bright and warm. Ms. Akil was appreciative. No rain.

That matters because police have outlawed "structures" on the site. There are no tents. Even a tarp with a pole underneath is against the rules.

There has been a lot of rain recently. Park residents, including Ms. Akil, make do by staying up and getting wet. They try to sleep when the rain abates. Others rush to nearby buildings to wait under awnings.

Depending on the day, there are perhaps a few hundred to 1,000 people in this small park on a block near the shadow of the New York Stock Exchange. A hardcore following of anywhere from 100 to 300, perhaps more, have made the park a temporary residence.

In many ways, Occupy Wall Street is a new Manhattan neighborhood. There is a commissary where an ample supply of privately donated food awaits. A recent breakfast included apple juice, watermelon, bagels, cream cheese and bread.

The commissary is attended, and visitors are ordered out of the "kitchen area," walled off by stocks of bottled water and food.

There is a "people's library" full of donated materials. There are leaflets and signs that can be passed out. On Tuesday morning, firemen from Yonkers and New York City transit workers were doing the heavy lifting of social protest. They held signs on Broadway and called out to passersby.

Manhattan is the media capital of the world, and the park is no exception. A media center, camped under two beach umbrellas, is powered by quiet generators. There is WiFi, a phone-charging station and constant activity. Here is where the national Occupy movement is being coordinated. Organizers now claim more than 100 U.S. protests, including Hawaii.

Occupy Wall Street's internal communications are much more low-tech. A few quasileaders called a meeting of the "general assembly" by walking around and shouting: "General assembly in five minutes!"

"We're trying to practice the democratic process," Ms. Akil says. "And stay positive."

Ms. Akil seems to save her energy for actions. From time to time, the group marches on the New York Stock Exchange, Brooklyn Bridge or other destinations. In between, there is much downtime. Ms. Akil, 19 years old, says some protestors are "getting discouraged."

They feel they haven't received enough media attention. They worry they are being ignored, she says. Some are leaving. At the same time, more are showing up. And there are the part-timers, protestors who stay for the day before retreating to their homes in Brooklyn and the Bronx.

Ms. Akil is graduated from a community college in New Jersey last spring. She has participated in nonviolence rallies and protests at New York University. She describes herself as a community organizer. Occupy Wall Street offers something beyond any of her previous efforts.

"There's something tangible here," she says. "This is really different."

What separates the hardcore residents of the park, Ms. Anil says, is the spirit. "I've never been around such a creative group of people," she says. "And they're dedicated. People aren't afraid to get dirty."

In recent days, protestors have been trying to stem criticism that the group has too many agendas. There certainly is a multitude of interests: anti-corporate, antiwar, animal-rights activists, environmentalists and the center of the group, which has challenged Wall Street's role in the recession, economy and the balance of power in Washington.

Ms. Akil isn't as worried. She sees the multitude of interests as having a common theme. "We all believe there is one cause, globalization and reckless capitalism," she says, and those forces are "constantly dictating what we are doing."

The one group she doesn't like is "people who want to legalize drugs. That's the last thing we want," she says.

She also says she isn't an anarchist or communist. She has a degree in humanities, noting that it "is probably the worst degree for the job market." She plans to go back to school and pick a more practical major.

"I have to figure out how to market myself," she adds.

With that, Ms. Anil was ready to start her day in Zuccotti Park. More than two weeks in and with no plans to leave for the comfort of her apartment in New Brunswick, N.J., she still has things to do.

For example, she has to charge that cell phone. She'll do it at the McDonald's on Broadway. "They've been cool about it," she says.

Ms. Anil also has to call her mother, whom she says is worried about her. "She makes me call her twice a day," Ms. Anil says. "I do, just to say: 'I'm OK, mom."'

Write to David Weidner at david.weidner@dowjones.com