Occupy Chapel Hill enters its ninth day today with nearly a dozen camping tents still pitched in Peace and Justice Plaza.
The protest began as an extension of Occupy Wall Street but is now focused on bringing the movement to the local community by encouraging an open dialogue with residents.
Kassandra Ofray quit her job with Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro to join the movement. She said the protests can generate community discussion.
“I saw an opportunity to change the world and wanted to invest all my time working on that,” she said.
Ofray said the protestors represent a diverse set of people and opinions.
And that diversity allows the protest to resonate with different people, said Stephanie Daugherty, a protestor and volunteer at Internationalist Books and Community Center.
A table full of pamphlets at the edge of the tents, which cover topics from herbal healing and anti-fracking to anticapitalism and anarchism, is a testament to the protestors’ many concerns.
Protesters say they have received positive responses from the community.
Chapel Hill residents have offered monetary and food donations. Employees from Jimmy John’s and Krispy Kreme have donated leftover food, and Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe is advertising Occupy Chapel Hill events on its website.