Photo from Think Progress' flickr stream
Despite the lack of attention the mainstream media has paid to the Occupy Wall Street movement, it’s evolving into a substantial protest that is now being felt in cities and neighborhoods across the country. It’s a gathering storm of people feeling as though they have nowhere to turn to find solutions to our severe economic problems and finding commonality in the masses turning out to say ‘enough is enough’.
The occupation began on September 17th as a few hundred protesters gathered in Zuccotti Park to speak out against corporate greed and the growing income gap that’s lead to many middle class Americans to believe that the American Dream is no longer a reality.
When the idea for occupation started, organizers hoped that the protest would occupy Manhattan’s Financial District for approximately two months, but no one had any real idea what form the protest would take. Today, three weeks into the occupation, Zuccotti Park looks like a combination of Hoovervilles from the depression era and Woodstock. The camp has a collection of stations that include medical needs, food items, legal, and even a comfort station where blankets and sleeping bags can be found.
The occupation crowd and atmosphere shift depending on the day of the week – weekdays the occupation tends to be college students, veterans, unemployed individuals, and retirees. The crowd turns into a giant swarm over the weekends when larger and more diverse crowds can organize and turn out showing support for the movement. Right now there are over 300 separate occupation protests happening across the country because people are fed up with the current economic policies that have allowed for the wealthiest Americans to control the most wealth.
In 2007, the bottom 50% of Americans controlled only 2.5 percent of the total wealth in this country. In Washington, D.C., activists have camped out at McPherson Square – which is located on K Street, home of the powerful special interest group lobbyists in Washington. In Philadelphia, over 1,000 community members converged on City Hall, standing up to Wall Street CEOs and Millionaires. On October 6th the protests took to the streets of Cleveland, where over 2,000 people marched from Willard Park to City Hall where they delivered their demands.
This movement will continue to grow, along with the power of the people. Many in the media didn’t think the occupation could last this long. But, the fact is, the occupation is still growing and going strong weeks after the initial protest. It is doing exactly what it set out to do – draw attention to people’s concerns, frustration and anger. We know that there is a significant and growing economic gap, and we’re tired of it. It’s time politicians and greedy Wall Street Bankers began listening to the voice of the people. To sign up and stand with those of us who are fed up with greed and corruptions or to find an Occupy Wall Street event in your area, click here.
