Occupy Wall Street Protest Causes New York Police to Block Off Wall Street Monday

New York City police are limiting access to Wall Street Monday morning, requiring residents and workers in blocks surrounding the New York Stock Exchange to show identification

The Occupy Wall Street protest began over the weekend in New York's Financial District, and on Sunday 300 to 400 people demonstrated near Chase Manhattan Plaza, but the number was less than the 1,000 who protested for #OccupyWallStreet on Saturday, the first day.

The protest is aimed at getting President Barack Obama to create a commission to end the influence money has over our representatives in Washington, according to the Web site of Adbusters, a group promoting the demonstration.

Protesters are being asked to occupy Wall Street for a few months and some have called for as many as 20,000 protesters to participate.

New York officials are recognizing the protestors' rights and Mayor Michael Bloomerg said the city is happy to make sure they have locations to do it, according to a statement made at a Sept. 15 press conference. As long as they do it where other people's rights are respected, this is the place where people can speak their minds, and that's what makes New York, New York.

But on Monday morning, as Wall Street readied for the markets to open, police blockades requiring identification was disrupting the business day by 7 a.m. EDT, and causing anger and frustration among some workers and business owners.

At one blockade at Beaver and Broad Street, one delivery man waited outside a blockade with packages of raw hamburger meat and boxes and pastries and vegetables, trying to make a routine restaurant delivery.

He didn't have identification, however, and was being forced to wait outside with the products while trying to gain clearance.

A group of tourists wanted to approach the New York Stock Exchange but they weren't being allowed past the police-manned blockade at the point.

One vendor who moved his newspaper handout position to Broadway from Wall Street said he hoped (the protest) doesn't last long.

The city established a protest area on Broad Street and Exchange Place, adjacent to the New York Stock Exchange, but the protesters decided not to use it, and over the weekend they staked out other areas, and even walked in a small band on Broadway while some beat drums, some strummed guitars, and others held up signs, including end corporate welfare.

Protests are also planned for financial districts in Madrid, Milan, London and Paris, according to Bloomberg news.