Veterans at 'Occupy Louisville' talk to Democracy Now

Democracy Now host Amy Goodman visited the "Occupy Louisville" demonstration over the weekend and spoke with a number of protesters, including two veterans.

"I’m here because this is our moment to stand up and to voice the grievances, to voice what we’ve all been thinking of for a long time," said Brian Smith, a Gulf War veteran. "The system does not work for us. The system works against us. The politicians we’ve elected are not looking out for our best interests."

Another veteran, who served in Iraq for about a year and a half, told Democracy Now he joined the military because he believed it was his duty to protect his country. He said joining the "Occupy Louisville" demonstration was another way to "help people out."

"I was really, you know, eager to do something that would help everybody, you know?" said Gary James Johnson. "And right here, right now, this is another way I can help, and help people out, who won’t speak up, who won’t sit there and take a stand, who’s too afraid that they might lose their jobs, may sit there and lose their houses, might get their houses foreclosed."

While local "Occupy" protests have sprung up around the country since the "Occupy Wall Street" demonstration began mid September in Manhattan, the movement has recently .

Those include Occupy Marines, Occupy Navy, Occupy Airforce, Occupy Army, Occupy Education, Occupy Police, and Occupy Hollywood.

Watch video, courtesy of Democracy Now, below: