[UPDATE: With Irvine Protest] Occupy Santa Ana March Sees Large Turnout; Protest In Front of John Wayne Airport Tonight

​UPDATE NOVEMBER 17, 2011 8:30 P.M.: The most amusing part about this evening's Occupy protest in front of John Wayne Airport was the bewildered faces of cranky business travelers as they wheeled their suitcases through chanting crowds on the way back to their cars. But widespread support was demonstrated by the jubilant honking of passing cars. NBC Orange County Bureau Chief Vikki Vargas was even on hand to interview folks in the group of more than 50 people who had gathered at the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Michelson Drive. Comprised of activists from Occupy Irvine and moveon.org, the crowd had assembled as part of the national day of action marking the two month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement. 

The march crossed the overpass above the 5 Freeway, where the group
split in half and lined sidewalks on both sides of Main Street north of
the Discovery Science Center. Occupiers said they hoped to bring
attention to the country's crumbling infrastructure, which could
potentially be a source of jobs if the government decided to invest in
repairs. 

While the march was peaceful, several
Santa Ana Police officers constantly zipped alongside the procession on
motorcycles. At one point, cops shouted through speakers at Occupiers
who wandered onto Orange County High School of the Arts to distribute
flyers to get off the campus.

This afternoon will see more protests in Irvine, where Occupiers,
along with moveon.org, will march to the connector bridge near John
Wayne Airport and MacArthur Boulevard.