Bebeto Matthews / AP Photo
Occupy Wall Street’s big day of action is off to a dramatic start, with about 175 protesters already arrested as they tried to shut down the New York Stock Exchange. Demonstrators clashed with police, who had set up barricades around the exchange, but trading began on time at 9:30 a.m. Several NYPD officers were reported injured. The throngs of protesters and the metal barricades set up by police brought traffic in the area to a standstill. The protest comes exactly two months after the activists first occupied Zuccotti Park and two days after they were evicted by police. After congregating around the exchange, protesters planned to block several major transportation hubs and then proceed to Zuccotti Park. There were arrests around the country as demonstrators were evicted in Dallas, resulting in 18 arrests, marchers in Portland, Ore., were arrested when they tried to cross the Steel Bridge in defiance of police, and Los Angeles police arrested at least 20 people during an attempt to shut down a downtown intersection.