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Occupy Wall Street Protesters March Through Maryland

BALTIMORE (WJZ)—About two dozen members of the Occupy Wall Street Movement are walking through Maryland on their way to Washington, D.C. to deliver their message to Congress.

Mike Hellgren has more on what that message is.

When the birthplace of the Occupy Movement in New York City erupted into chaos, some of its founding members were already in Maryland on their way to the seat of the nation's power.

"We started off in Zuccotti Park, 22 of us," said Bo Han. "It started off as one thing, and it's just grown to something that is beyond even our control."

"We tell them, we're walking from New York to Washington, D.C.," said one male protester.

They started last week. Some barefoot. And their travels through Maryland have included a few bumps in the road.

"We were outside of one general store where people were purchasing items, and the owner asked us to leave. So that kind of struck a nerve with some people , and it wasn't great for morale," said  Kelly Brannon.

"It's a little rough, but it's not anything to really worry about. You just gotta keeping pushing. Push through the pain," said one female protester.

The entire journey is about 230 miles.

Many in the loosely-organized movement are upset over bank bailouts, a lack of jobs and a lack of action in Washington, D.C.

As they've pushed back, so have police with arrests from coast-to-coast. But Baltimore has largely remained peaceful-- despite the city's threats to evict demonstrators from McKeldin Square. It will be one stop for those walking, and they should get a warm welcome.

"They're actually out there putting in the work.  They're getting blisters on their feet. They are stars under my eyes. They are super stars," said a Occupy Baltimore protester.

They stayed overnight Thursday in Havre de Grace and are expected to be in Baltimore by sometime Saturday. They are keeping people posted on their whereabouts via Twitter.

About 200 people marched across the Howard Street Bridge in Baltimore on Thursday as part of the Occupy protest.

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