And the protests did not end there. During the s and s, social movements criticized financial institutions such as Bank of America for their policies toward the poor and racial minorities, as well as for their ties to defense industries said to be promoting unpopular wars abroad.
Wall Street and the Fight to Limit Inequality Concerns about income and wealth inequality have long been linked to criticism of Wall Street. The protest movements active in the late 19th century worried that the large fortunes of men such as John D. Rockefeller, J. From the s through the s American incomes became somewhat more equal and the fruits of economic growth more widely distributed. To explain this reduction in inequality during the middle decades of the century, scholars have pointed to New Deal reforms and strong labor unions along with U.
But since the s, U. Today, levels of inequality are roughly equal to what we saw in the early 20th century — and the U. A rumour also went round that Radiohead were going to pay a visit and play a concert in solidarity. Had the band actually turned up, there is the question of whether they would have been allowed by the occupiers to perform, and how long it would have taken to reach that decision.
After 20 minutes of listening to this back and forth, Lewis left, having not addressed the gathering. Although the Radiohead rumour was soon exposed as false, more people came flocking to the plaza un New York. For one young protester from Brooklyn, the new arrivals were not a wholly positive development.
Cantave herself only spent one night sleeping out in the plaza. It was not always a safe space for women or female-presenting, female-identified people. Yet by comparison with sleeping out elsewhere in the city, it was relatively safe. As one witness testifies in All Day All Week , horizontalism faltered when it met homelessness. No one had the expertise or knowledge to deal with people who had really been let down by the system they were all protesting against.
Cantave says she can remember a lively discussion about whether they were organising a protest project or providing social services.
The fact is, even in the most egalitarian of settings, some people are practised in discursive dynamics and others struggle to make their voices heard. It was amazing. To the academic, it was a theory that had been put into practice. Some of his fellow protesters were committed on a more practical level. A combination of internal tensions, exhaustion and worsening weather began to undermine morale among the occupiers and thin their numbers.
Despite several attempts to re-occupy the space and others in the area, the protest effectively came to an end. It also ended an experiment in social and political organisation. However, Wall Street, and the whole financial and corporate sector, remained almost entirely untouched by the two-month long occupation. It changed no banking practices, brought forth no corporate regulation.
We gave away the keys. Photos: Occupy Wall Street spreads worldwide. When I interviewed Evan Weber for my book about Occupy and its legacy, he agreed that the movement played an essential role in igniting a new progressive era—one that might finally be on the verge of achieving transformational social, economic, and electoral reforms.
Occupy was like a great wave hitting shore—and a warning of even bigger waves to come. Occupy provided a blueprint for how popular dissent and demands can change America. Now a new 99 percent must write the next chapter. Skip to content Site Navigation The Atlantic.
Popular Latest. The Atlantic Crossword. The local group which numbers in the to range has been based at the downtown park since last Thursday. Addie Becker, right, cheers as demonstrators march through center city Philadelphia, on October 14, , in the Occupy Philly protest. The encampment at City Hall is one of many being held across the country recently in support of the ongoing Occupy Wall Street demonstration in New York. Inspired by the 'Occupy Wall Street' protests in New York City, an estimated 1, people showed up to participate in the Miami protest.
A Jordanian protester carrying a placard readin in English, "in Solidarity with 'Occupy Wall Street Movement'" stands outside the US embassy as members of the Communist Party gather at one of a number of protests around the world in Amman, Jordan, on October 15, The banner behind him, which is partially obscured, reads, "Jordanian Communist Party, capitalism is vicious and a known threat to humanity. A group of about demonstrators take to the streets of downtown Phoenix, Arizona late Friday afternoon, October 14, as part of the "Occupy Phoenix" movement.
Thousands of demonstrators gather at Madrid's landmark Puerta del Sol as part of the United for Global Change movement against banking and finance in Madrid October 15, An activist holding a placard reading "I want a job! More than a hundred protesters gathered in front of Taiwan's landmark Taipei building on Saturday in response to the global Occupy Together movement against unfair wealth distribution.
The gathering in the capital of Santiago was one of dozens of global protests launched Saturday in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Participants hold placards to surround Taipei during a protest named "Occupy Taipei" organized by Taiwanese net friends in Taipei, Taiwan, on October 15, Occupy LA is part of the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York last month with a few people and expanded to protest marches and camps across the US and abroad.
Protesters with Occupy Pittsburgh take part in a rally in Pittsburgh, on October 15, The demonstration is one of many being held across the country recently in support of the ongoing Occupy Wall Street demonstration in New York.
We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters theatlantic. One last look at the colorful beauty of this autumn, seen across the Northern Hemisphere. Images of an foot-tall puppet, depicting a Syrian refugee girl, that has traveled 5, miles in recent months. Diwali celebrations in India, a walk through a pond in Belgium, a glacier in Argentina, anti-government protests in Bangkok, a foggy sunrise over San Francisco, and much more.
0コメント