By Courtney Gousman
St. Louis (KSDK) - A protest is causing some big headaches for downtown drivers.
Police have shut down a number of roads for this afternoon's "Occupy St. Louis" rally and march.
The group has been in Kiener Plaza for the past two weeks protesting corporate greed. The rally and march kicked off at 3:30 Friday afternoon, and about 400 people were expected to show.
Everyone from union members, to students, and the unemployed are supporting the effort.
Those who are occupying say they're tired of the political bickering in Washington, and they want to see more jobs. They also want the big banks to be held responsible for what they say was their part in this country's economic crash.
The march is taking supporters past two local Bank of America branches and near the Arch Grounds, where presentations will be made about the mortgage crisis and what they're calling deficiencies in infrastructure, like roads and bridges.
"I think banks are sitting on a lot of money that they're not wanting to put out. They're basically squeezing the small businesses that everybody agrees is the economic engine of this country, yet they won't give them loans. They give super loans to the big companies, but yet we had the bank bailouts," said Gary Elliott of the Eastern Missouri Laborers' District Council.
St. Louis Metro Police are working a special detail for this event, and they've come prepared with their paddy wagons, and their plastic handcuffs.
So far, no arrests have been made.
KSDK
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