The Occupy Movement

Occupy Wall Street is the name of a protest movement that began on September 17, 2011, when a group of demonstrators camped out at Zuccotti Park in the financial district of New York City. With no proclaimed leader or singular demand, the protests are mostly aimed at wealth disparity in the country and what are deemed as unfair practices by financial firms. The protesters aim their ire at the top 1 percent of American income earners, rallying around the slogan “We are the 99 percent.” Hundreds of other “Occupy” protests have taken hold across the world. While there have been clashes with authorities, the protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful.