Crowd of 200 Animates MoveOn Rally in Downtown Walnut Creek

A large, lively gathering shouted and sang slogans and songs of the 99 Percent in downtown Walnut Creek at lunchtime.

Organized by MoveOn.org, the rally attracted about 200, by a Patch count at 12:10 p.m. Thursday, to the four corners of the intersection of Mount Diablo Boulevard and North Main Street. It was perhaps the largest protest of more than a half-dozen in the last six weeks in downtown Walnut Creek.

Meanwhile, protesters who support New York's ongoing "Occupy Wall Street" demonstrations are holding marches, rallies and other events at other Bay Area locations today as part of a national "day of action."

In San Francisco, after a march on Wednesday in which 95 protesters were arrested in a Bank of America branch downtown, "Occupy SF" is calling for a quieter teach-in at the camp in Justin Herman Plaza this afternoon.

At the teach-in, which begins at 4 p.m., protesters will discuss "wage theft," and low-wage and unemployed workers in the Bay Area will swap stories and discuss how to create an economy that better serves workers.

The most high-profile "Occupy" protest in the Bay Area, "Occupy Oakland," has only planned a candlelight vigil at Frank Ogawa Plaza at 7 p.m., but it has called for another national day of action on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a separate statewide strike is under way by California State University faculty today over teacher compensation and cuts to education.

Bay City News contributed to this report.