You’ve heard of it. On CTV News, spread across the newspaper and most recently in Piper Hoekstra’s blog post. The Occupy Movement. You have the general gist in mind, something about a protest against economic inequality. But have you attempted to understand what the true message of the protest is, why it’s happening or how it will affect you? Having been constantly reminded that the world I live in is not perfect, I have tried to learn about the only “revolution” I can come somewhat close to experiencing.
On September 17, 2011, a crowd of protestors flooded Wall Street in haphazard formation with a main demand of “ending the influence money has over our representatives in Washington.” Participants branched off from the principal message with causes regarding the wealth divide, the lack of substantial health insurance, money spent on war, the multitudes of citizens who live in poverty and the ability of large corporations to manipulate government decisions. The protestors call themselves the “99 %”, emphasizing that the majority of citizens are at the low end of the economic scale. The catalyst of the movement is believed to be the successful protests in Egypt, which led to the removal of President Mubarak. Many people have turned a blind eye to the events happening in Zuccotti Park, however there are those who are completely against blaming Wall Street or the government for the individuals’ struggles, known as the 53%. All in all, it is still unclear how the ultimate result of the protests will affect everyone’s daily life. However, it is crucial to realize that there are an enormous number of problems within today’s society and that the real value of the movement comes from the reality that people are willing to fight for solutions.
Craig, G. (2011). What is occupy wall street and should you care?. Retrieved from http://freefrombroke.com/what-is-occupy-wall-street-and-should-you-care/
Occupy wall street- how did it all begin?. (2011, November 4). Retrieved from http://www.onlyinfographic.com/2011/occupy-wall-street-how-did-it-all-begin/
Timson, J. (2011, October 13). Why did occupy wall street take so long to happen?. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/news-and-views/judith-timson/why-did-occupy-wall-street-take-so-long-to-happen/article2200498/page2/