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|Image_Caption = Poster for the protest, expressing the absence of a unified cause or demand
|Image_Caption = Poster for the protest, expressing the absence of a unified cause or demand
|Thumb_Time = (Video thumbnail frame - see below)
|Thumb_Time = (Video thumbnail frame - see below)
|Participants = Republican, Democrats, Liberals, Conservatives, [[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]], [[Middle Class]] [[Youth]], [[Libertarians]], [[AdBusters]] readers, and [[Democracy Now!]]
|Participants =[[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]], [[Middle Class]] [[Youth]], [[AdBusters]] readers, and [[Democracy Now!]]
|Location = [[New York City]], [[United States of America|USA]]
|Location = [[New York City]], [[United States of America|USA]]
|Date = {{Start date|2011|09|17}} ([[Constitution Day (United States)|Constitution Day]]) – <br/>ongoing
|Date = {{Start date|2011|09|17}} ([[Constitution Day (United States)|Constitution Day]]) – <br/>ongoing

Revision as of 00:34, 30 September 2011

Occupy Wall Street
thumbtime=(Video thumbnail frame - see below)
Poster for the protest, expressing the absence of a unified cause or demand
DateSeptember 17, 2011 (2011-09-17) (Constitution Day) –
ongoing
LocationNew York City, USA
ParticipantsAnonymous, Middle Class Youth, AdBusters readers, and Democracy Now!
Websiteoccupywallst.org
New York City General Assembly
adbusters.org/campaigns/occupywallstreet
A speaker addresses the crowd in Zuccotti Park on September 17, 2011

Also see: Impact of the Arab Spring

Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing demonstration[1] opposing what participants view as negative corporate influence over U.S. politics and a lack of legal repercussions over the global financial crisis.[2] It was inspired by the Arab Spring movement, particularly the protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square which resulted in the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.[3] The aim of the demonstration is to begin a sustained occupation of Wall Street, the financial district of New York City, to draw attention to Wall Street’s misdeeds and call for structural economic reforms. Organizers intend for the occupation to last "as long as it takes to meet our demands." Demands are in the process of being negotiated and developed. [4] The protest was coordinated with similar though smaller events nationwide; as of September 27 the Occupy Wall Street site reported that "52 cities were occupied or organizing" including Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago, as coordinated on Occupytogether.org.[5][6][7]

Background

After the late-2000s recession that left many countries on the edge of bankruptcy, declined the economy, and caused massive unemployment, a Canadian anti-consumerist magazine called Adbusters proposed a peaceful demonstration against the current leadership, U.S. politics and lack of repercussions to prevent or do effective changes in global financial crisis. The demonstration is leaderless,[8] although it was originally proposed by Adbusters magazine. The hacktivist group Anonymous encouraged its followers to take part in the protest, which increased the attention it received.[3] Other groups followed, typically of anti-capitalist and leftist persuasions, including the NYC General Assembly and U.S. Day of Rage.[2]

Prior to the protest's beginning on September 17, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press conference, "People have a right to protest, and if they want to protest, we'll be happy to make sure they have locations to do it."[2]

Chronology of events

Main article: Timeline of Occupy Wall Street

September 17 saw the beginning of the Occupy Wall Street gathering. An estimated 1,000 people[9] attended on the first day. NYPD police officers prohibited protesters from erecting tents, citing loitering rules. This led to masses of people walking up and down Wall Street.

On Monday, September 19, the stock market opened on Wall Street for regular business. Many major news sources began to publish articles on the occupation[10] and Occupy Wall Street caught some mainstream media attention across a wide variety of sources.[11] By Tuesday night the protesters numbered around 150, though there were more during the day.[9]

On September 23, the action at Liberty Square, across the street from finance hub One Liberty Plaza in New York City continued.[12] The Colbert Report[13] satirized the protests and major newspapers including The Guardian[14] and the New York Times covered the protests.[15] institutions -- is destroying financial security for everyone else?"[16]

Demands and goals

The poster for the event asks the question, "What is our one demand?", an allusion to the charge that the protesters lack focus and that they do not put forth an actionable agenda. In an article that was critical of the protesters, Ginia Bellafante wrote in The New York Times that their "lack of cohesion" was unsettling."[17][15] Glenn Greenwald responded to this criticism, writing "Does anyone really not know what the basic message is of this protest: that Wall Street is oozing corruption and criminality and its unrestrained political power -- in the form of crony capitalism and ownership of political institutions -- is destroying financial security for everyone else?"[16]

The desire to form a more coherent agenda was evident around the 13th day of the occupation, with sentiment in the encampment generally split along two lines: those who want the protest to remain amorphous and to grow through spectacle; and those who want to draft focused demands about wealth disparity.[18]

Opposition and support

Wall Street itself has remained barricaded off from all pedestrians, including tourists
The protesters set up camp in what they called "Liberty Park", although Brookfield Properties, the owner of the public space, instituted new rules on September 26 to make life more difficult for the people staying in the park[19]

Despite the organizers' insistence that the occupation would remain non-violent, some commentators in the media and financial sector raised fears of unrest in the run-up to the event. In an interview with The New American, Ron Arnold of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise claimed that, "American radicals are planning hundreds of simultaneous violent uprisings to topple our system of capitalism...I'm talking about anti-capitalist terrorists in our own country."[20] The Blaze, a conservative news website, criticized U.S. Day of Rage's involvement in the demonstration and compared the event to the violent "Days of Rage" protests in 1969.[21]

Political commentator and writer Keith Olbermann criticized mainstream media for failing to cover Occupy Wall Street, saying, "Why isn't any major news outlet covering this? ... If that's a Tea Party protest in front of Wall Street ..., it's the lead story on every network newscast."[22][12] Canadian writer Naomi Klein supported the protest, saying, "This is not the time to be looking for ways to dismiss a nascent movement against the power of capital, but to do the opposite: to find ways to embrace it, support it and help it grow into its enormous potential. With so much at stake, cynicism is a luxury we simply cannot afford."[23] Filmmaker Michael Moore spoke against Wall Street, saying, "They have tried to take our democracy and turn it into a 'kleptocracy'."[24][25]

Support for the demonstration amongst mainstream liberal groups varied. Progressive blogger Zaid Jilani, writing for ThinkProgress, wrote that the protesters' anger against Wall Street banks was not unreasonable "because Wall Street’s actions made tens of millions of people dramatically poorer through no fault of their own."[26] The left-wing blog Crooks and Liars commented on the demonstration, with blogger Susie Madrak writing, "I have a feeling this might be a good one."[27]

Rap artist Lupe Fiasco donated tents and a mobile sound system for the occupation; he also wrote a poem to help inspire the protesters.[28] Comedienne Roseanne Barr spoke to protesters during the first day of the demonstration, describing Wall Street financiers as "the people who decimated our economy and caused all the problems in the world."[29] Susan Sarandon spoke at the demonstration saying, "I came down here to educate myself...There's a huge void between the rich and the poor in this country."[30]

Arrests and police interaction

The New York Police Department have made several arrests during the protests:

  • Four protesters were arrested for wearing masks.[31]
  • One protester was arrested for crossing a police barricade and resisting arrest.[32]
  • Two protesters were arrested for entering a building belonging to Bank of America.[32]
  • One protester was arrested for disorderly conduct.[33]

At least 80 arrests were made on September 24,[34] after protesters started marching uptown and forcing the closure of several streets.[35][36] Most of the 80 arrests were for blocking traffic, though some were also charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Police officers have also been using a technique called kettling which involves using orange nets to isolate protesters into small groups. [35][36]

On September 24 witnesses said they saw three women collapse on the ground screaming after they were pepper sprayed in the face. A video posted on YouTube and NYDailyNews.com shows uniformed officers had corralled the women using orange nets and one suddenly sprayed the women before turning and quickly walking away.[37] Another woman who had been caught up in the net and pepper sprayed reported other incidents that she believed to be unnecessary use of police force.[38] The Police Department’s chief spokesman, Paul J. Browne, said the police had used the pepper spray “appropriately." According to the spokesperson, “Pepper spray was used once after individuals confronted officers and tried to prevent them from deploying a mesh barrier — something that was edited out or otherwise not captured in the video.”[39] Activists later published the name and contact details of the officer seen spraying the women with pepper spray, and encouraged members of the public to complain about his conduct.[40]

Anthony Bologna

Main article: Anthony Bologna

The police officer who maced several female protesters has been identified[41] as Deputy Inspector Anthony V. Bologna of the New York Police Department. Inspector Bologna was captured on video macing protesters.[42][43][44][45][46][47][48]

Bologna has previously faced civil rights complaints for his role during the 2004 Republican Convention held in New York City, for allegedly committing false arrest and civil rights violations.[42][45][47]

See also

References

  1. ^ Marcinek, Laura (September 17, 2011). "Protesters Converge on Lower Manhattan, Plan 'Occupation'". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c "'Occupy Wall Street' to Turn Manhattan into 'Tahrir Square'". IBTimes New York. September 17, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Saba, Michael (September 17, 2011). "Twitter #occupywallstreet movement aims to mimic Iran". CNN tech. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  4. ^ "#OCCUPYWALLSTREET". www.adbusters.org. Retrieved September 17, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ {{cite web|url=https://occupywallst.org/article/day-ten/%7Ctitle=A Message From Occupied Wall Street (Day Ten)|date=2011-09-27|author=OccupyWallSt (user at Occupywallst.com)
  6. ^ "Occupy Chicago Protest Grows Despite Attempts To Stop It (VIDEO)". September 27, 2011.
  7. ^ "About Occupy Together".
  8. ^ "US protesters rally to occupy Wall Street". September 17, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  9. ^ a b Zerbisias, Antonia (September 20, 2011). "World News: Protests dwindle in attempt to 'occupy Wall Street'". thestar.com. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  10. ^ "Google Trends: occupy wall street". Google.com. September 17, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  11. ^ ""Occupy Wall Street" Google News agreggation". September 17, 2011.
  12. ^ a b om een reactie te plaatsen! (September 21, 2011). "Keith Olbermann Covers Occupy Wall Street Protests Media Blackout". YouTube. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  13. ^ "Colbert Report, 23 September 2011". Colbertnation.com. September 21, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  14. ^ Harris, Paul. "Guardian". Guardian. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Bellafante, Ginia (September 23, 2011). "Gunning for Wall Street, With Faulty Aim". The New York Times. New York City. The New York Times Company. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  16. ^ a b What's behind the scorn for the Wall Street protests?, Glenn Greenwald, Salon, September 29, 2011; acessed September 29, 2011
  17. ^ Correcting the Abysmal 'New York Times' Coverage of Occupy Wall Street, Allison Killkenny, The Nation, September 26, 2011; accessed September 29, 2011
  18. ^ The debate at Occupy Wall Street: To what end?, Justin Elliott, Salon, September 29, 2011; accessed September 29, 2011
  19. ^ Corporate Landlord Losing Patience With Occupy Wall Street Protest, Joe Coscarelli, New York, September 26, 2011; accessed September 27, 2011
  20. ^ “Day of Rage” Wall St. Occupation Sparks Fears, The New American, September 13, 2011
  21. ^ Who Is Behind the ‘US Day of Rage’ to ‘Occupy’ Wall Street this September 17?, TheBlaze.com, August 19, 2011
  22. ^ "Will Bunch, author of 'The Backlash,' on mainstream media's failure to cover Wall Street protests". current.com. September 21, 2011. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  23. ^ "Open Letter From Arun Gupta on the Wall Street Occupation: The Revolution Begins at Home". naomiklein.org. September 27, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  24. ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/27/national/main20112025.shtml
  25. ^ Strachan, Jessica. "Michael Moore gives speech at Liberty Plaza for 'Occupy Wall Street'". The Flint Journal. Retrieved September 27, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  26. ^ Why There Are Protests On Wall Street: Their Actions Impoverished More Than 60 Million People, ThinkProgress, September 18, 2011
  27. ^ Occupy Wall Street: 'This Is Not A One-Day Demonstration, We're Not Leaving', Crooks and Liars, September 17, 2011
  28. ^ "U.S. Day of Rage planned for Saturday — an Arab Spring in America?". September 15, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  29. ^ "Occupy Wall Street": Thousands March in NYC Financial District, Set Up Protest Encampment, DemocracyNow.org, September 19, 2011
  30. ^ http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2011/0928/Susan-Sarandon-lends-star-power-to-Wall-Street-protests
  31. ^ Marcinek, Laura (September 19, 2011). "NYPD Arrest Seven Wall Street Protesters". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  32. ^ a b Marcinek, Laura (September 19, 2011). "Wall Street Areas Blocked as Police Arrest Seven in Protest". Businessweek. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  33. ^ "What I am doing right now | United States | By Asdf Asdf (picos)". Qik.com. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  34. ^ Smith, Candice. "Occupy Wall Street Movement Reports 80 Arrested Today in Protests". abc. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  35. ^ a b "Police Arrest 80 During 'Occupy Wall Street' Protest". Fox New.com. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  36. ^ a b Moynihan, Colin. "80 Arrested as Financial District Protest Moves North". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  37. ^ Deluca, Matt. "Wall Street protesters cuffed, pepper-sprayed during 'inequality' march". NYDailyNews.com. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  38. ^ http://bostonreview.net/BR36.5/jeanne_mansfield_occupy_wall_street.php
  39. ^ Goldstein, Joseph. "Videos Show Police Using Pepper Spray at Protest on the Financial System". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  40. ^ Karen McVeigh in New York. "Occupy Wall Street activists name officer over pepper spray incident | World news | guardian.co.uk". Guardian. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  41. ^ Elinor Mills (September 26, 2011). "Anonymous exposes info of alleged pepper spray cop". CNet News.
  42. ^ a b McVeigh, Karen (September 27, 2011). "Occupy Wall Street: 'Pepper-spray' officer named in Bush protest claim". The Guardian (UK). The Guardian.
  43. ^ Dwyer, Jim (September 27, 2011). "A Spray Like a Punch in the Face". The New York Times.
  44. ^ Coscarelli, Joe (September 26, 2011). "Anonymous Outs NYPD Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Occupy Wall Street Protesters". New York Magazine.
  45. ^ a b Read, Max (September 26, 2011). "Pepper Spray Cop Already Had Civil-Rights Complaint". Gawker.com.
  46. ^ "Anthony Bologna, NYPD Officer Who Pepper-Sprayed Protester, Had Role In 2004 Incidents". The Huffington Post. September 27, 2011.
  47. ^ a b "Hackers grab Goldman CEO's personal data". CBS News. September 27, 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/27/tech/cnettechnews/main20112427.shtml?tag= ignored (help)
  48. ^ "Michael Moore backs Wall Street activists". UPI. September 27, 2011.
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