OGDEN -- A handful of humans -- and two cats -- have been camping outside of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ogden since Saturday, and they're hoping to gain the support necessary to make their Occupy Ogden movement a permanent fixture here.
The Ogden movement officially began Saturday with a rally and a march.
Some participants then vowed to keep going, and church leadership voted to give them and their cardboard signs reading "Wake Up!" and "You are one of the 99 percent" a home at the church until they could find a more permanent one.
The church's pastor, the Rev. Theresa Novak, said she hopes the national Occupy movement will restore democracy.
"I think it's drawing attention to the huge inequality in our country that's gotten worse over the years," she said. "As a society, we need to start taking care of each other and not just paying attention to those with wealth and power."
National Occupy Wall Street propaganda states that the movement is designed to represent the 99 percent of Americans who are not represented in Congress.
Since Saturday, four or five people have spent each night on the lawn of the church.
But there also is a handful of people who haven't camped out but have provided donations and food to support the movement.
Others have made daily marches with the group. Tuesday's march had only four people, but the group is hoping to inspire others to participate.
The latest donation, on Monday, was a portable toilet sponsored by Unitarian Universalist member Manuel Goedemans.
"We are losing our country to the oligarchy," Goedemans said. "If we don't get it back, who knows what will happen? We've got to start somewhere."
The donation was needed after an Ogden police officer and a code inspector visited the makeshift campsite and determined that the group needed a portable toilet in order to be legal.
Edward Swift, of Bookings, Ore., had been participating in an Occupy Salt Lake event, but came to Ogden to help organizers here.
Swift said he's hoping area residents will feel just as free to wander into the camp and hear the message supporters offer and to support them, by donating markers and cardboard for signs or marching with them or sleeping out.
"I like it when people come out and ask questions," Swift said. "It makes you feel like you are making a difference."
Camp supporter Andrea Azoff, of Ogden, said she hopes the effort builds some steam before Swift has to return to Oregon on Monday.
"We have probably 500 people on Facebook," Azoff said. "We need to get more visible."
Cold weather may be a reason some have chosen not to participate in the camping.
Novak said she believed sleeping outside was something for the young people to do because of the cold.
But two felines have not complained about the cold throughout the event.
Swift said one black cat has come and gone with its owner, who has been an off-and-on participant in the event.
The other, a calico stray now named Occupy, showed up right as the campout began and, with plenty of food and love at the site, she hasn't left since and adds her meow to the chorus of voices representing the 99 percent of Americans not represented in Congress.
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