Some 50 members of Occupy DC, escorted by almost as many police, snaked through the K Street lobbying district, waving banners and shouting slogans against economic inequality and excessive corporate influence on US politics.

"We don't want corporations! We don't want banks! We want houses! We want freedom! We will not stop!" one young woman shouted when the protesters halted outside the offices of JP Morgan Chase bank.

No attempt was made to enter McPherson Square, scene of one of the longest-running Occupy encampments in the United States from October 1 until February 4 when it was all but shut down in a day-long police raid.

At its height, hundreds of mostly young activists joined Occupy DC. For the few still active in the movement, the main focus has been on defending indebted homeowners facing foreclosure.

On September 17, up to 1,000 protesters hit the streets in New York to mark the first anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, disrupting access to the city's stock exchange, as police detained more than 180 people.