WASHINGTON -
Once a magnet for the wandering masses in a movement against the rich and powerful, the Occupy D.C. and Occupy K Street encampments downtown are a thing of the past.
For the first time in eight months, McPherson Square - just three blocks from the White House - is mostly occupied by pedestrians again.
"It's a great thing," says "Jhaz" The Tailor, who walks through the park on his way to work at nearby JoS. A. Bank clothing store. "It's great. It's wonderful. We need it back. And also, the ducks are glad to be back."
Yes, the ducks are back as well. And just one heap of nylon and garbage and flattened squares of grass to remind passersby of what once was there: they called it Occupy K Street. An entire city block filled with tents and protestors.
"I think it was worth it," says Paul Suprono, who calls himself a sympathizer, not an occupier. "Unfortunately, as in every instance, they're human. They make mistakes."
Ohio's Ron Mihalovich is still around and hungry for a cause.
"There are a lot of powerful people out there that abuse their power for the wrong purposes," Mihalovich tells us.
He says he came late to the Occupy party, but is sticking around a bit, mostly to help clean up.
"I feel like it's my part," he says. "This city has done a lot for me. Just being here, they've helped me out and some of this mess is also mine. So, just trying to do my part."
Over at Freedom Plaza, the Occupy D.C. movement is long gone.
"What was it? What was it all about?" asks Claudine Kurp, visiting from Virginia.
It was a seemingly endless series of protests - mostly peaceful - railing on the powerful one percent.
"You just kind of walked away saying, why are they here? What do they want?" Kurp says. "I mean, it just seemed to be just sort of a pilgrimage for some folks to come, but everybody seemed to have a different agenda. And it just seemed to be a meeting place for everybody. But at the end of the day, it solved nothing."
