A Peoples Movement for Change: Occupy Wall Street

A Peoples Movement for Change

Occupy Wall Street

BY: Sarah-Mae Rahal

         

Often people associate Western culture with characteristics that nations pride themselves on such as liberty, freedom, democracy, peace, opportunity, and equality. But Western culture has lacked in truly demonstrating equality. Although women's rights and civil rights have approved greatly, equality  between economic classes has not improved. Today, in 2014 there is still a huge disconnect between economic classes. Just 3 short years ago, in 2011 it was the protesters of the Occupy Wall Street movement.This blog will be outlining the purpose of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, but also something bigger than that. The idea that by people taking action it can help transform society.

The summer of 2011 was the just beginning of the biggest movement in the United States since the anti-war movement in the 60’s. The Occupy Wall Street Movement was triggered by a small group of activists motivated by the economy at that time. July the United States almost exceeded their debt ceiling (limit). A debt ceiling that has been in place since 1917. If the U.S was to exceed the debt ceiling that would mean consequences that include late, partial or missed payments to federal pensioners, Social Security and Medicare recipients, government employees and government contractors, as well as an increase in interest rate for citizens (Investopedia, 2012). This enraged citizens who were already already struggling, a staggering 48 percent of all Americans were either considered to be low income or are living in poverty (50 facts, 2011). The foreclosure crisis, foreclosure it was at an an all time high.People were unemployed and foreclosure was at an all time high. American citizens were desperate and hungry for change.

         That’s when the movement began. Many Americans felt that economic, social, political conditions were deteriorating, unequal and being controlled by corporate money. September 17th was the first demonstration by the protesters. Thousands flooded lower Manhattan and Wall Street. These locations are symbolic because this is where the political and financial elite achieve their wealth. Activists sought to build a movement that reflected what they wanted to see. They wanted and stood for; direct democracy without hierarchy, self empowerment,and equality within classes.

September 17th rge first protest of the movement on Wall Street, NY

         

What enraged the protesters was the fact that the government would not acknowledge the economic divide between Americans. But truth was that 1% of Americans now owned 40% of the wealth.” This 1% was getting more wealthy and record highs for unemployment, debt and foreclosure grew. We are the 99% became a key slogan and due the unification  of the 99% it drew in even more Americans to join the movement.This spread across the globe and people were interested by it, 

people were finally realizing the class struggle and were eager for the change. It was challenging people to not only demand change but to live it.

October 15th 2011 protests began on Bay Street, Toronto for the

same reasons as the Occupy Wall Street Movement in the U.S  

Violence against the protesters got progressively worse . Many Americans were shocked to see police using pepper spray and their abuse too casually. On October 1st the NYP arrested over 700 protesters on Brooklyn Bridge. It was the “largest mass arrest New York has seen in decades.” This furthermore motivated people to protest. By October 15th over 30 000 people marched on Times Square.

Some people would argue that the Occupy Wall Street movement was very unsuccessful. Media portrayed the protesters and the whole movement itself has having to  clear goal. Host Jimmy Kimmel even went as far to say that “to have a protest without an objection is a party picnic for the dirty and unemployed”. But just get the facts:

         In just 4 weeks the movement grew from a few activist to a countrywide movement. People were unified and demanded change.This was the process of transformation that is critical for social change. When people access their power and motivated them to achieve their goals. Mid November police starting violently clearing out the camps where the protesters stayed.

November 2011, thousands of protesters created a human barricade around Wall St.

But this didn't stop the people. Two days after the Zuccotti clear out tens of thousands of protesters planned to stop the stock exchange and take over the streets of the city. The amount of people that showed up and participated showed that Occupy Wall Street was far from over. They wanted to demonstrate the movement was more than occupying a park or plaza but instead it was about creating a space with American consciousness to believe in a different type of political power. One controlled not by politicians or corporate money but by people taking action with the hope of transforming a country that they think need to be change.  

        As for the future of class struggle the system is inherently unjust and self-destructive cannot be so easily dismissed. For example Marx theorized that the capitalist system would inevitably impoverish the masses as the world’s wealth became concentrated in the hands of a greedy few, causing economic crisis and heightened conflict between the rich and working classes. That’s exactly what happened. Tensions between economic classes in the U.S. are clearly on the rise. Society has been perceived as split between the 99% (the regular people) and the 1% (the connected and privileged super rich getting richer every day). In a Pew Research Center poll released last year, two-thirds of the respondents believed the U.S. suffered from strong or very strong conflict between rich and poor ranking it as the No. 1 division in society. (Time, 2011) Class struggle will never be eliminated but there is hope.  It was the efforts of the Occupy Wall Street Movement that made people aware and wanting the change.