About 100 people were in an encampment of tents and signs along 1st and Main streets on Monday, two days after the first demonstration took place in downtown Los Angeles.
In solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators in New York, the protesters in Los Angeles are sounding off against bank bailouts. They said the banks are to blame for the failing economy.
"The simple goal is to get concerned citizens to get together to work on solutions to the problems that plague our daily lives," said protester Cheryl Aichele.
Demonstrators have been peaceful and communicating with the Los Angeles Police Department. They said they want to avoid an situation like the one that happened in New York over the weekend when some 700 protesters were arrested.
"We're concerned, but everybody has been trying to behave," said demonstrator Sarah McGovern. "I've even talked to the police and they say we are going to be OK until December as long as we behave ourselves, and that's the goal."
About two dozen tents had been set up by Monday. Generators powered up laptops at a makeshift media center.
"I know the LAPD doesn't always do the right job, but they are doing the right job with us here," said demonstrator Julie Levine. "They said 'We do not want to be like the NYPD. We understand that you are peaceful.' The New York protesters are peaceful. We don't want you to have the impression that they are violent because they are not."
The protesters in Los Angeles marched to downtown's Financial District on Monday afternoon.
