Noah Berger / AP Photo
Scott Olsen, the Iraq War veteran struck by a police projectile during the Occupy Oakland protests, has woken up, said hospital officials and his family on Thursday. They said he has been upgraded from critical to fair condition, and doctors are waiting to see if swelling in his brain has eased before performing surgery. Olsen "responded with a very large smile" to a visit from his parents, said a hospital spokeswoman. "He's able to understand what's going on. He's able to write and hear but has a little difficulty with his speech.” Meanwhile, New York protesters are planning to march on five major banks today, including Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. In Atlanta, protesters spent the night outside the Martin Luther King Jr. Center after being evicted from Woodruff Park.