COEUR d'ALENE - Eileen Riddle says she's held a sign and stood on the corner of U.S. 95 and Appleway many times to support a candidate.

There she was again on Saturday, holding another sign. This time, it didn't have the name of someone seeking office. It said, "You are the 99 percent."

She more than liked the reaction of some passing drivers, who honked, yelled, waved and gave her a thumbs up. She loved it.

"I've never heard a response like we're getting today," the Hayden Lake woman said.

Riddle joined a few hundred others as part of a peaceful 12-hour Occupy Coeur d'Alene rally from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. They railed against what they call corporate greed that's running and also ruining America.

They held signs that read "Get the money out of politics," "Pass the jobs bill," "the best government corporations can buy" and "corporations are not people. Money is not speech."

The group, part of a nationwide movement, called for changes to an economic system that they said benefits the wealthy and hurts the poor.

"It's the people at the top are the ones that are benefiting. The rest of us are just getting the leftovers," Riddle said.

Organizer Josh Grise said the rally attracted a mix of unemployed, minimum-wage workers, teachers, a doctor, parents and students.

The 28-year-old began planning the protest last week and said he quickly found a strong following who manned two-hour shifts on Saturday.

"Our country needs to change," he said. "There's a lot of things wrong with our country that need to be fixed."

He spoke against the outsourcing of jobs overseas, the busting of unions, government spending that's out of control, and a lack of benefits and employment opportunities for blue-collar people struggling to get by.

"Our politicians aren't doing anything about it," Grice said. "It's the status quo. It's the same thing all the time. That's why I'm here."

So what's the solution?

Grice said corporations with money shouldn't have so much influence over policy and politics. The government should respond to the needs and wants of the people, he said. It's time for citizens to elect leaders who will listen.

"I believe in smaller government," he said.

Hayden Lake resident Shirley Thagard, holding a sign that read, "divide & rule a sound motto, unite & lead a better one," believes in the Occupy Wall Street movement.

"It shows that people are finally getting up off their chairs and standing up and saying we want to be heard," she said.

Rich Knezevich of Coeur d'Alene hopes the Occupy Wall Street rallies across the country make a difference.

The retired seamster said if the direction of the country doesn't change, those who need health insurance, jobs, homes and hope, will continue to do without.

The future, he said, worries him.

"I don't know what's going to happen to us," he said.