If you thought Occupy Wall Street (OWS) was just a fly by night initiative, think again. What began September 17, 2011 as a series of minimally publicized demonstrations in the financial district of New York City has blossomed into a full blown movement which has not only swept the United States, but crossed into international terrain, as well.
The participants' slogan "We are the 99%" refers to the vast difference in wealth between the top 1% and the rest of the population in the United States and abroad. The main purpose of the protest is to bring awareness to social and economic inequality, corporate greed, and the power and influence of corporations, particularly from the financial service sector, and of lobbyists, over government. In just over one month, demonstrations modeling themselves after the “Occupy” protest brand have expanded into 70 major cities and over 600 communities in the U.S. and over 900 cities worldwide including Sydney, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Hamburg, and many others.
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Perceptions vary as to the specific goals of the movement, which is why most media outlets did not take the protest seriously initially and for the most part ignored it. The message of the protests, due to the nature of its participants’ complaints, is not as obvious at first glance as others that have taken place this year. Protestors have not congregated at Liberty Square to overthrow a dictator, like they did in Egypt’s Tahrir Square. Nor do they aim to violently depose the government, like protesters did against Moammar Gaddafi and his dictatorship of Libya.
