Slideshow: Blaze Writers Show You Their Pictures From Today's Occupy March

Early Thursday morning, Buck Sexton and I traveled to different points in lower Manhattan where we followed the efforts of the Occupy Wall Street protesters to block the opening of the New York Stock Exchange.  The plan was not a secret and the NYPD was on the scene in substantial numbers.

Early reports say that 50 protesters were arrested and taken away in the flexible, plastic handcuffs carried by every officer.

In the moments when the group was not chanting "We Are The 99%" or "Wall Street Is Our Street" I was given some specific instructions on what to do if I found myself arrested and hauled off to One Police Plaza and locked up in "the tombs." A man sporting the neon green hat from the free legal aid group told me the average detention lasts 15-20 hours and suggested that I avoid the milk and bologna being served in the holding tank at all costs. However, the peanut butter or cheese sandwiches should be suitable replacements. Good to know.

Here's what we saw down at the march:

[gallery]

We will be monitoring this afternoon's anticipated attempt to shut down the subway system as well.

Stay tuned.

All photos from Buck Sexton and Mike Opelka.