Occupy LA protests calls for an end to the Federal Reserve Board (Photo by Jacqueline Gantes)

Left with zero job prospects and a heap of student debt like many other Americans, Boatwright sees fleeing the country as his only way out. 

“I worked at 7-Eleven and Safeway as a teenager and built up my management skills," Boatwright. "Now, even though I have prior work experience and a college degree, I can’t even get a job.  Are you kidding me? How do I pay my student loans? American exceptionalism is history!”

Since last Saturday, many fired-up, discontented individuals from all walks of life, backgrounds, ages and ethnic groups who, like Boatwright, are fed up with how the government is treating mainstream America have joined together at the Los Angeles City Hall in a movement called Occupy LA.  

The grassroots protest is modeled after the anti-corporate Occupy Wall Street campaign which began three weeks ago in New York City and has since spread to several cities across the nation. 

More than a hundred tents packed like sardines, entrenched the north lawn area of the LA City Hall.   Cardboard signs with such messages as “End the Fed” and “99%ers United and Fighting” scattered the grass where the protesters plan to stake out for as long as it takes for their voices to be heard.

Chants of “End the fed, end the fed” filtered through the crowd as demonstrators spoke about their goal to end the Federal Reserve System and institute a sound money system of competing currencies that won’t cheat the 99 percent of Americans from receiving fair income, wages and other conditions.  

In an effort to protest corporate greed, social inequity and other governmental economic issues,  Occupy LA provides individuals the opportunity to voice their concerns and send a message to the government that they will no longer stand by the policies that are hurting them. 

“We’re tired of being left out of the equation and enough is enough," said Vick, an activist with Occupy LA. "We are here today to make sure that this game the government has been playing is going to change.”

Occupy LA which has grown in numbers since it began last Saturday, plans to attract more and more supporters as the weekend rolls on. 

For now, Boatwright is set on camping outside the LA City Hall and making his voice heard; but you can bet, if government change is not made, he’ll be on the next flight to New Zealand.