Most of the encampments have since been dismantled, but in the space of just a few months, Occupy changed the conversation and many people's lives. Oct. 21 The host of an opera radio show aired by NPR affiliates is fired for participating in the Occupy D.C. movement, sparking controversy. We put up a tent. 1867: The stock ticker was introduced on Wall Street. But since then, we've kind of transformed into sort of a people's lobby. . Real wages, which had long been stagnant, fell - and in some places, including Britain . A judge rules that although the protesters do not have a First Amendment right to camp out in the park, they are allowed to return to Zuccotti sans tents and tarps. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Meanwhile, the New York protesters, outgrowing Zuccotti Park, spill over into Washington Square Park. Even the police would privately say to us how much they support what we're doing. The automated program also prevented buying, which wiped away any bids. CONAN: We'd like to hear from those of you who occupied wherever, a little oral history today. Tweet us @totn or send us an email. What was the outcome of the Occupy Wall Street Movement? How long did the Spanish Revolution last? He has since expanded pre-K education for tens of thousands of students, created municipal ID cards for undocumented immigrants, increased affordable housing, and guaranteed sick days for workers in Americas largest city. At what appears to be a juncture(ph) for the Occupy movement, we're looking back at how it evolved, an oral history of Occupy Wall Street thus far. How 'Occupy Wall Street' Started and Spread - U.S. News & World Report BRANDON: That will be in Charlotte, North Carolina. 'We Are the 99 Percent' Joins the Cultural and Political Lexicon - The Wed 15 Sep 2021 03.00 EDT Last modified on Thu 16 Sep 2021 10.42 . May 17, 1792: Security traders who the previous year had begun to meet and make transactions under a Buttonwood tree on Wall Street banded together officially under the Buttonwood Agreement. Nov. 15In Oakland, police arrest 20 people and clear protesters from the plaza where they had been living; the mayor's legal adviser resigns in protest. [2] The diversity of the protest was indicative of the expansive elements of inequality felt by Americans, both in New York and outside of it. They had different breakout groups about what this day meant to them, and what could it possibly mean to occupy. Coining the slogan "We are the 99%," the movement's main purpose was to draw attention to economic and social inequality and to eliminate the impact of corporations on policy-making. Get HISTORYs most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week. How long did the Mexican War of Independence last? The worlds 1 percent now possess almost as much combined wealth as the bottom 90 percent. How long did the Venezuelan War of Independence last? How long did the Second Sudanese Civil War last? A Short and Remarkable History of New York City by Jane Mushabac, published by Fordham University Press, 1999. CONAN: Thanks very much for your time today, appreciate it. the Occupy (Wall Street) Movement: 3.It criticizes the corruption of Wall Street banking practices and the Citizens United decision by the USSC, which reversed over a . CONAN: We're talking with Kalle Lasn, editor and founder of Adbusters based there in Vancouver, where he joins us by phone, one of the groups that helped organize and inspire the Occupy Wall Street movement. Congratulations, Jesse, thanks very much for the phone call. So even that, we gave our blankets, they gave their book, "Here I Stand" and Malcolm X and of course "Time for Outrage" by Stephane Hessel. And in addition to what you said in your intro, I mean, it wasn't just in America. Occupy Wall Street: A protest timeline | The Week The occupation of Zuccotti lasted for one month and 29 days. So I mean, we're well into the summer, hopefully. And the regime change that happened there was a kind of a hard regime change, I guess you could call it. In the long run, Occupy invigorated ideas and people that influence today's . [5] One author described the central theme of the protest as driven by anxiety about the economy [and] belief that big institutions favored the reckless over the hard-working. CONAN: And what made you change your mind and stick around? LASN: Yes, and of course in Egypt, I mean, they had a dictator, and he was torturing his people in police stations around Egypt, you know, for years. This was one of the rare occasions of Occupy Wall Street moving out of Zuccotti Park. CONAN: And it has been a tumultuous, at times, occupation. And I must admit that what happened in New York and especially Zuccotti Park last year felt like 1968 all over again but this time in much more serious and critical times. LASN: Well, you know, this - I remember 1968, that was one of the really great moments of my life, when a small uprising in the Latin Quarter of Paris suddenly exploded into hundreds of campuses and protests around the world. G&P Chapter 8b: The Tea Party (TP) & Occupy Wall Street (OWS - Quizlet Wall Street's bear market last year was meeker than most. 800-989-8255. It crept across the border to Canada, and in the middle of October last year, it was happening in over 1,000 cities all around the world. Goldman Sachs culled 3,200 in the first quarter; on May 30th reports suggested the bank was letting go of another 250this time mostly from among senior ranks. NICHOLA TORBETT: Great to be here, Neal, thank you. On a local level, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio swept into office last year on a 99-percent-style tale of two cities campaign to address income inequality. So our movement now is becoming a full-rainbow movement with room for everybody. The board moved into the Merchants Exchange building at 55 Wall Street 10 years later. We've compiled a few indicators that attempt to answer the question. Despite the publics overwhelming support for its messagethat the economic system is rigged for the very few while the majority continue to fall further behindmany faulted Occupy for its failure to produce concrete results. In New York, thousands of people march to the U.S. Armed Forces recruiting station in Times Square to protest spending on foreign wars. We had Roseanne, Naomi Klein. And it has sort of degraded into like a cop-versus-us sort of situation. The signees first set up offices at the Tontine Coffee House, on the corner of Wall Street and Water Street. The unity of such a diverse group made this protest representative of the city itself. Thirty people were killed and hundreds injured. But. CONAN: Thanks to everybody who called from all the Occupy areas around the country and emailed us, as well. Occupy Wall Street was a profound moment in the history of New York City, as it stood up for values held by many, against the power held by a few. I mean, we've been out here - we put up the tent in November. If you participated, what happened that you're going to remember? How many police officers were at the Ferguson and Dallas protests? HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. [11] These efforts intentionally created a reputation for the movement, as the protesters made little effort to look polished or elite during their efforts. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Learn about social stratification. It's CONAN: Home to a major naval air station. So there's a lot of - and corporate personhood, all these issue that we have. Email us, talk@npr.org. All rights reserved. Otherwise we would literally be getting frostbit and dying. While the movement was composed of thousands of individuals, their backgrounds and perspectives on the issues addressed in the protest were diverse and far-reaching. A diverse community of protesters created a collective mentality and unity among them. CONAN: You mentioned 1968, and of course those were - I'm old enough to remember 1968, too. Occupy Wall Street - How Long, How Many, Which Cities? - WSJ 3, 2017, 278. How long did the March Against Fear last? LASN: Well, you know, I think the movement now is having a lot of dissention within it about demands, about leaders, about where to draw the line between violence and non-violence. Adbusters calls for similar protests to be held in. Charleston's a very conservative town, and it's a place with great economic disparity. LASN: Well, you know, AdBusters, we only have 10 fulltime people working for AdBusters Media Foundation, but then we have a few hundred people who are artists and writers and campaign managers and so on, people who feed into our system. Occupy got the diagnosis correct. Sept. 30An internet hoax that Radiohead will play for the protesters draws a crowd downtown. How long did the Nigerian Civil War last? Allegedly, the police removed tarps and tents from the park and began placing them into dumpsters. Initially built by the Dutch to stave off the English, Wall Street evolved to represent much more than a Manhattan address. Occupy Wall Street Movement: The Occupy Wall Street Movement was a political movement in New York City that began in. ", Oct. 6About 4,000 protesters march in Portland, Ore. More demonstrations unfold in Houston, Austin, Tampa, and San Francisco. It was finally demolished in 1699. The movement's biggest legacy may be the 10-year crackdown that followed By Nathan Schneider September 17, 2021 "Occupy Wall Street". A couple weeks ago, we had a cold snap that was really horrible, it got down to 50 below. The Dutch settlers of Manhattan Island, called New Amsterdam at the time, feared England was planning to attack and constructed a wooden wall as defense. The typists sent the information to brokers through the telegraph. That's at npr.org. CONAN: Let's get another caller in on the conversation. The grassroots movement composed of fast-food workers and Walmart employees, convenience-store clerks, and adjunct teachers seized on the energy of Occupy to spark a rebirth of the U.S. labor movement. Thanks very much. If you would like to see a particular datapoint included, let us know in the comments. The demonstration marked the beginning of a new focus on wealth disparity in American politics. You can find a link to that at our website. How long did the Haitian Revolution last? This was a protest of the everyday Americans, individuals who considered themselves to be the working class of the city. We just have a few seconds, Brandon. We've done a lot here in Columbus, working hard to keep our occupation going in front of the state house. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. There's a ton of activity, and a lot of people are looking to the next few months to really come back strong. Nice to have you with us today. Protestors affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement demonstrate in Duarte Square in New York. 14, April 2012), 12.. He said it was a moment when it was cool to be a leftie. But I think the highlight for me was going down as part of a delegation to Occupy Congress and being able to occupy all three branches of government in one day. Here in Columbus, Ohio, we've been around for 122 days. On her first campaign stop in Iowa in April, Hillary Clinton struck a decisively populist tone, declaring that the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top. Later, she sharpened her rhetoric on income inequality by comparing the salaries of Americas richest hedge fund managers with kindergarten teachers. [10] The usage of public space for protest was conceptualized with intentionality, designed to create an image of repugnance for their movement, impressed upon the wealthy. How many people participated in the Occupy Wall Street Movement? It featured cannons and spanned between two gates, one located at what is now the corner of Wall Street and Pearl Street, and the other on Wall Street. 1652: During the Anglo-Dutch Wars, hostilities between England and the Netherlands spilled over into North America. Last fall, as cracks began to appear in the united faade of the Occupy movement, a protester and marriage counselor named Robert Adams told a reporter for The Huffington Post that the two groups needed each other to succeed. You know, we have a small wood stove in there, and, you know, we have to - people donate firewood, and that's the only way we could really keep this 24-hour vigil going, is because we have this tent with a stove. The Occupy Wall Street Movement - NYCROPOLIS Sandy Nurse joined Occupy Wall Street in Manhattan on day one, September 17, 2011, and she joins us now from our bureau in New York. Anyone who wasnt a group member who wanted to buy stock had to do so through an approved broker. Five months later, most of the Occupy . Timeline of Occupy Wall Street - Wikipedia How long did the California genocide last? NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. But, you know, you can do it. Nichola Torbett is director of the Seminary of the Street, a member of the interfaith tent at Occupy Oakland and joins us now from Youth Radio in downtown Oakland. Vanity Fair recently published a fairly comprehensive history of the movement. Would you agree with that? Clinton isnt alone. Spin magazine wants to give it a shot. So it's really about a confrontation with the violence of the status quo. Wearing a . Sept. 28Transport Workers Union Local 100 becomes the first big union to support Occupy Wall Street via a member vote. This protest consumed the city, as tens of thousands of individuals participated, and the protest dominated the news cycles for months. With the rallying cry "We are the 99%!,"meant to highlight how the richest 1% of the population dominated the U.S. economy the Occupy Wall Street movement grew not only within New York's Zuccotti Park, but . And we got really involved, I would say, after that first outbreak of police violence on October 25th at that point, and leading up to the general strike. This is TALK OF THE NATION. And that's why I think that this Occupy movement has long legs, and it will fragment into this whole rainbow that will then wash over the world. Occupy offshoot movements like Strike Debt, Rolling Jubilee, and Debt Collective are tackling Americas $1.3 trillion college-debt conundrum by buying back student debt for pennies on the dollar and forgiving it. TIM: It was a great conversation. During the raid, protesters locked arms around the park's epicenter: the kitchen. Copyright 2012 NPR. It also charted the course for concrete legislative reform. 1731: A first attempt at creating a public library was made by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, located in City Hall on Wall Street. BILL: Yes. And it seemed to be this very colorful energy, and it was very - it was really seductive. Occupy Wall Street brought the people of the city together through the creation of a common enemy. Last fall, those movements coalesced into the worlds largest climate march when 400,000 protesters descended on New York City to demand robust cuts in emissions and investments in renewable energy. Let's see if we can go next to Tim, and Tim's on the line with us from Spokane. One of Occupys largely unrecognized victories is the momentum it built for a higher minimum wage. Images: Zuma Press/Reuters/Getty Images Composite:. I remember, I think it was the Tuesday afternoon in a park that is usually pretty deserted at that time, and people kept coming and coming, and before the end we had 100 people just for a planning meeting in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon. We have an entire world to win.. How were decisions made? "We'll continue to be the . To gain a seat on the exchange, a person had to be voted in and willing to pay the fee of $25. The Failure of Occupy Wall Street | HuffPost Latest News This article originally published on Oct. 7 was last updated on Nov. 21. The idea and language of Occupy came from a guy named [Kalle] Lasn, who ran Adbusters. Go to npr.org; click on TALK OF THE NATION. CONAN: Well, continued good luck, stay warm. Sept. 20Police start arresting mask-wearing protesters, using an arcane lawdating back to 1845 that bans masked gatherings unless part of "a masquerade party or like entertainment.". The Occupy Wall Street Movement began on September 17, 2011. Sep 18, 2021, 4:00 AM PDT The Occupy Wall Street protest kicked off on September 17, 2011, in Lower Manhattan's Zuccotti Park. Across North America, the various encampments under the Occupy banner appear to be in their death throes. How long was the national guard involved in the Watts riots? Until recently, Occupys chief accomplishment was changing the national conversation by giving Americans a new languagethe 99 percent and the 1 percentto frame the dual crises of income inequality and the corrupting influence of money in politics. It was very interesting to me to see how many people had left their homes, their families, their jobs, their friends, their apartments. October 24, 1929: The stock market surged as high as 50 percent starting in 1928, despite indications that the economy was on the wane and predictions of stock market collapse by economist Roger Babson. So it didn't necessarily feel like I was being a leftie. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. How is Occupy Wall Street faring at this very moment? BRANDON: Well, we had an occupation going here. She started to feel comfortable to get to the mikes, and she asked Jacksonville Occupy to start an education group, and they did. CONAN: How many people there in the tent? Protesters' Eviction: The End, Or An Opportunity? How many demonstrators attended the March on Washington? So I just kept going back to the planning meetings, and then we actually kicked off here - we had chosen Indigenous People's Day, sometimes called Columbus Day, October 10th - as the launch, officially, of Occupy Oakland when we set up the tents. And to be honest, I was there at night, and we've had a lot - not a lot, but a little bit less turnout at night, but great people day and night. For the duration of the protest, the financial district of the city was truly occupied, as protesters used tents to camp overnight and consistently continue the protest. Post, the building boasted grand Corinthian pillars, statues by John Quincy Adams Ward, a marble trading floor and a 70-foot high ceiling. Inequality and the wealth gap are now core tenets of the Democratic platform, providing a frame for other measurable gains spurred by Occupy. It's the TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. How long did the 1854 Broad Street Cholera Outbreak last? I'm Neal Conan. But, you know, even at that first planning meeting, we were talking about the police as part of the 99 percent, certainly as individuals, but, as institutionally in service to the 1 percent. CONAN: And to the degree that it was your brainchild, it must have, well, blossomed. The Nation: The 99 Percent Rise Up : NPR Did you ever visit Zuccotti Park? Obviously, no individual or small group can speak for such a large movement that by its nature had no hierarchy and no leaders. Will Biden and Zelenskyy's meeting resolve Ukraine's frustrations? Up to 80% off + free fast delivery, Limited Time Only! Here in New York, occupiers are still working around the clock, organizing a ton of things. CONAN: Kalle Lasn is editor and founder of Adbusters, a Vancouver-based magazine that helped inspire Occupy Wall Street. Sept. 17The protest begins, with about 1,000 people gathering in downtown Manhattan and walking up and down Wall Street. Occupy prompted a grassroots anti-fracking movement that pushed cities, counties and states to enact bans on the controversial drilling processfrom Athens, Ohio, to Mendocino County, California, and in states like New York and Maryland. And now an army of elected populists in both the Senate and House is unifying around her. Occupy Wall Street begins On September 17, 2011, hundreds of activists gather around Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan for the first day of the Occupy Wall Street Movementa weeks-long. So they weren't able to say they were in solidarity with the general strike. Sept. 26Filmmaker Michael Moore addresses the crowd at Zuccotti Park. And at 1.am. [12] This paradoxical classification of space has drawn criticism, as it gives considerable spatial power to the corporations that control the areas. By its nature there were no leaders, no hierarchy, so we want to hear from occupiers. How did the Civil Disobedience Movement start? October 19, 1987: Wall Street experienced one of the largest single-day crashes in 1987 with a $500 billion loss as markets plummeted worldwide. https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-METROB-14181. Occupy Wall Street. What is the importance of the Civil Disobedience Movement? All rights reserved. While New York City is an economic center of the United States, it also represents the worst of economic inequality in the country. Called de Waal Straat, the earthen part of the structure came from earlier fortifications built to defend against possible attacks by Native Americans and pirates. [2] Jocelyn Novek, Protesters Want World to Know Theyre Just Like Us, Long Island Press, October 10, 2011. [9] Space, therefore, is central in OWS because it is a movement not only organized in space but also about space. I t has been 10 years since Occupy Wall Street shook the United States and spread like fire across the planet, . What was the first thing you did for Occupy Oakland? CONAN: Do you know who picked Zuccotti Park? Scroll down for the latest updates. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. All Rights Reserved. On September 17, 2011, roughly 1,000 protesters crowded into the square under an "Occupy Wall Street" banner, thrusting the issue of economic inequality into the national spotlight. As people gravitated to Occupy encampments, teach-ins, and demonstrations across the country, that energy easily transferred into the fight against climate change. CONAN: This is TALK OF THE NATION from NPR News. There was some distancing from that move by leaders of the ILWU, which is the union that - it's for the dock workers - at the port because they, in their contract, are forbidden from striking. LASN: We were inspired for years by the anarchists in Greece and then later on by what happened there in the (foreign language spoken) of Spain, and then when Tunisia and Egypt happened, then we thought that it was the right moment to have kind of a soft regime change in America, as well, and we came up with this hashtag Occupy Wall Street and then a few posters, that famous poster of the ballerina on top of the bull with that cut line above it saying what is our one demand? Occupy Wall Street was a movement initiated in 2011 to protest the corporate greed and widespread economic inequality that was experienced across New York and the country as a whole. But it's helped transform the American left. I was surprised at the support that we had. the Occupy (Wall Street) Movement: 2.It began in Zuccotti Park in New York City on September 17, 2011, but quickly spread to 500+ cities, as a social mov't with no clear leaders.