Marines Head to Wall Street—to Protect Protesters

(Newser) – NYPD cops better watch it when they get tough with Occupy Wall Street protesters from now on, because the Marines are coming—to help protect the demonstrators. "I'm heading up there tonight in my dress blues," announced a Marine veteran in a message reposted by another anti-war vet on his Facebook page. "So far, 15 of my fellow Marine buddies are meeting me there, also in uniform. I didn't fight for Wall Street. I fought for America." The vet adds that his "true hope is that we, as veterans, can act as a first line of defense between the police and protesters. If they want to mace them, they will have to get through the effing Marine Corps first. Let's see a cop mace a bunch of decorated war vets."

Marines and other vets have already been spotted in the growing movement. A photo posted on a protest tweet shows two Marines recently in an Occupy Wall Street demonstration. One holds a sign reading: "Second time I've fought for my country. First time I've known my enemy." The 1971 Army Infantry vet who reposted the Marine's message said he plans to be at the anti-corporate demonstration planned in Washington with "hundreds of my fellow veterans." Protests are planned throughout the week in New York and several other cities. (Click to see which celebrities are voicing their support.)