Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street (OWS) was a left-wing populist and progressive movement against economic inequality, capitalism, corporate greed, big finance, and the influence of money in politics. It began in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Financial District, and lasted for fifty-nine days—from September 17 to November 15, 2011.
Occupy Wall Street (OWS) is a left-wing populist movement that initiated protests against economic inequality, corporate greed, and capitalism's influence on politics, starting with the 2011 Zuccotti Park occupation. Its official content, primarily blog posts from occupywallst.org, critiques traditional activism's failures and advocates for innovative strategies like electoral power and tactical experimentation. Key focus areas include anti-capitalism, rethinking protest paradigms, and supporting global social justice initiatives.
Origins and History
Occupy Wall Street originated from a concept by Adbusters' Kalle Lasn and Micah White, who designed the initial protest framework, but was operationalized by approximately 200 New York City activists who organized the on-the-ground occupation in Zuccotti Park.[12][25][13] Post-2012, the movement's social media fragmented, with many accounts diverging from original organizers.[12][25] In 2016, OWS re-emerged as OccupyDNC, establishing 'Liberty Park' near the Democratic National Convention to protest DNC interference in the Sanders campaign via WikiLeaks revelations.[9][23]
Critique of Traditional Protest and Activism
Micah White, OWS co-creator, repeatedly argues that traditional large-scale, non-violent protests fail to achieve change, citing historical examples and labeling it a flawed 'voluntarist model'.[1][4][5][7][8][10][14][19][20][22][24] Protests are obsolete post-Dallas shooting, forcing a choice between electoral movements or armed insurrection.[8][14] A 'protest industry' co-opts genuine efforts, necessitating radical innovation.[7][22]
Advocacy for New Activist Strategies
White calls for shifting from disruption to electoral power, forming hybrid social movement-political parties to govern and control institutions like police.[1][4][6][19][21] His book The End of Protest proposes a unified theory of revolution and tactical innovation.[10][24] Online platforms like Activist Graduate School train activists with OWS and BLM creators.[11][15]
Anti-Capitalism and Systemic Change
OWS views capitalism as the root disease causing inequality, corruption, and instability, rejecting reforms for revolutionary dismantling.[2] Global declarations unite against capitalism, patriarchy, racism, and neocolonialism.[16]
Digital Activism, Hacktivism, and Tools
OWS provided open-source digital tools for collective action and horizontal organization, as in Occupy Sandy disaster relief using 'net work' models.[13][18] Hacktivism, like Jeremy Hammond's, is defended as resistance against corporate/government overreach.[3]
Global and Related Movements
Content supports international protests like Occupy Gezi in Turkey against authoritarianism[17] and networked activism in disaster relief.[18] Critiques extend to BLM for similar protest limitations.[4][6][19][21]
Political Interventions
Critique of Traditional Protest
Recurring argument that conventional protests fail to enact change, labeling them obsolete and calling for innovation.
Shift to Electoral and Political Power
Advocacy for movements to win elections and govern rather than just disrupt.
Anti-Capitalism
Capitalism as root cause requiring revolutionary dismantling, not mere reforms.
Activism Innovation and Education
Calls for tactical experimentation and training platforms like Activist Graduate School.
Digital and Hacktivist Resistance
Promotion of digital tools, open-source organizing, and hacktivism as legitimate resistance.