Occupy Wall Street – History of New York City - TLTC Blogs |

Occupy Wall Street was a movement initiated in 2011 to protest the corporate greed and widespread economic inequality that was experienced across New York ... Skiptocontent ThispictureshowsZuccottiPark,withprotesterssetuptosleepwithinitsconfines.Theprotestersmadeacommitmenttothede-beautificationofthecity.(CourtesyofWikimediaCommons,2011) OccupyWallStreetwasamovementinitiatedin2011toprotestthecorporategreedandwidespreadeconomicinequalitythatwasexperiencedacrossNewYorkandthecountryasawhole.Thisprotestconsumedthecity,astensofthousandsofindividualsparticipated,andtheprotestdominatedthenewscyclesformonths.NewYorkitselfplayedakeyroleinthisprotest,asitrepresentedboththecenterforeconomicprosperityintheUnitedStates,butalsoaconstantreminderofthefinancialinequalityinherentwithinthecityitself.Theeffortsbytheprotestersalsoconsumedthephysicalspaceofthecity,asmultipleuniquefacetswereutilizedwithintheprotesttocontributetoitseffectiveness.OccupyWallStreetwasaprofoundmomentinthehistoryofNewYorkCity,asitstoodupforvaluesheldbymany,againstthepowerheldbyafew.            MichaelMooredescribedOccupyWallStreetasbeingmadeupofthosewho“havelosttheirjobs,theirhomes,their‘AmericanDreams’”[1].Whilethemovementwascomposedofthousandsofindividuals,theirbackgroundsandperspectivesontheissuesaddressedintheprotestwerediverseandfar-reaching.Originallyaproteststartedbytheyouthinthecity,itlaterspreadtoincludeanexpansiverangeofNewYorkers.Oneprotestercommented“Butthewidermovementisremarkablymorediversethanit’sbeenportrayed.I’veseenalotoffirst-timeprotesters,nurses,librarians.Atoneprotest,theyoungerelementseemedactuallytobeintheminority”.[2]ThediversityoftheprotestwasindicativeoftheexpansiveelementsofinequalityfeltbyAmericans,bothinNewYorkandoutsideofit.Adiversecommunityofprotesterscreatedacollectivementalityandunityamongthem.Astheybegantofloodthestreets,itwasclearthatOccupyWallStreetwasnotamovementconcentratedwithonesinglegroup,butofanentirepopulation.Althoughtheprotestershadvariedbackgrounds,sometravelinginfromNewJerseyorConnecticuttotakepartintheprotests,eachprotesterembodiedthespiritofthecitythroughoutthedurationoftheseprotests.[3] TherallyingcryforthesepassionateNewYorkersbecame“wearethe99%”,indicatingthequantityofwealthheldbytheextremelyeliteofthecitycomparedtothemasseswhilealsocommentingonthesheersizeofthemovementincomparisontotheelites.[4]Thisrhetoricexpandedtoincludeotherpowerfulchants,allaccusingthebankingindustrywithuncontrollablegreedandpredatorypracticesagainstthelessprivileged.[5]Oneauthordescribedthecentralthemeoftheprotestas“drivenby‘anxietyabouttheeconomy[and]beliefthatbiginstitutionsfavoredtherecklessoverthehard-working”.[6]ThesethemeswerecentraltotheeffortsofOccupyWallStreet,astheprotestersbandedtogether,joiningtheirvoicesasoneandfightingfortheeconomicprivilegesthathadbeenwithheldforyears.            WhilethismovementencompassedtheattitudesofthousandsofNewYorkersandmillionsofAmericans,itdidnotcomewithoutcontroversy.Themajorityofprotestsduringthemovementremainedpeaceful,butincidentsoccurredthatshedanegativelightonthemovementasawhole.Oneexampleofthiswasanepisodeinwhichaprotesterwasaccusedofassaultingapoliceofficer.Followingacourtcasethatconcludedin2014,thisprotesterwasfoundguiltyaftervideosofherlungingatapoliceofficerandwoundingtheirface.However,thisindividualwasoneoftheonlyprotestersarrestedduringOccupyWallStreet.[7]Inadditiontothisevent,oneprotestspiraledoutofcontrolwhenpoliceofficersusedpeppersprayonpeacefulprotesters.[8]Thisbecameextramotivationfortheprotesters,astheyusedthisasagreaterfuelforthemovementgoingforward. TakingplaceintheLowerEastSideofManhattan,theprotestersusedNewYorkCityitselfasatoolforthemovement.InherentintheOccupyWallStreetmovementistheusageofprivatespacefortheprotestagainsttheirowners.Forthedurationoftheprotest,thefinancialdistrictofthecitywastrulyoccupied,asprotestersusedtentstocampovernightandconsistentlycontinuetheprotest.[9]“Space,therefore,iscentralinOWSbecauseitisamovementnotonly‘organizedinspace’butalso‘aboutspace’”.[10]Theusageofpublicspaceforprotestwasconceptualizedwithintentionality,designedtocreateanimageofrepugnancefortheirmovement,impresseduponthewealthy.Oneauthorarguesthattheprotestersutilized“anaestheticofdisgust”inanefforttorepulsetheWallStreetelites.[11]Theseeffortsintentionallycreatedareputationforthemovement,astheprotestersmadelittleefforttolookpolishedoreliteduringtheirefforts.ThiswasaprotestoftheeverydayAmericans,individualswhoconsideredthemselvestobetheworkingclassofthecity. ThispictureshowstheprotestersgatheringatZuccottiParkduringthedemonstration.(CourtesyofWikimediaCommons,2011) TheprotestersspecificallysettledinZuccottiPark,locatedintheLowerEastSideofManhattan.TheParkwasconsideredtobea“privatelyownedpublicspace”,operatedbyGoldmanSachs.[12]Thisparadoxicalclassificationofspacehasdrawncriticism,asitgivesconsiderablespatialpowertothecorporationsthatcontroltheareas.[13]Whiletherewerenolawsgoverningtheusageofthisproperty,theutilizationforalongtermprotestandoccupationwereindirectoppositiontothebank’sintentionsofoperatingthespace.Justastheprotestersworkedtoteardownthebeautificationprocessesthecityhadbeenundergoingforyears,theusageofthisspacerepresentedtheinstitutionsthemovementaimedtodiminish.ZuccottiParkbecameasymbolforthismovementandthehubforOccupyWallStreetthroughouttheentireprotest. ZuccottiParkservedtomakeOccupyWallStreetanincrediblyvisibleprotest,asitwasimpossibletobeinthisregionofthecitywithoutsightofthemovement.Theparkwasapopularsiteforvisitationbeforetheprotest,andbytakingoverthephysicalspaceinsuchadramaticfashion,theprotestdominatednewscyclesandconversationsforweeks.[14]WallStreetworkersthemselveswereforcedtoencounterOccupyWallStreet,aconstantreminderofthevaluesoftheprotestandtheinsinuationofguiltforthesewealthymembersofsociety. ThisprotestendedinNovemberof2011,astheNewYorkPoliceDepartment(operatingundertheguidanceofMayorMichaelBloomberg)raidedZuccottiParkandcleareditofprotesters,asitwastobecleaned.Allegedly,thepoliceremovedtarpsandtentsfromtheparkandbeganplacingthemintodumpsters.[15]DespitetheendoftheprotestinNewYork,themovementspreadintoanevenlargermovement,labeledassimply“Occupy”.Thismovementissometimesassociatedwithanarchism,butlargelystandsfortheideologyoftheoriginalprotest,fightingagainstthegreedthathasdominatedtheUnitedStatesfordecades.AlthoughtheOccupyWallStreetmovementwasabruptlyended,ithadfar-reachingimplicationsforthewiderangeofeconomicproteststhathaveoccurredintheyearssincetheoccupationofZuccottiPark. OccupyWallStreetisamovementrootedinthecultureandhistoryofNewYorkCityitself.Whileitutilizedthepublicspacethatthecityhadbeenfamousfor,italsoembodiedthespiritofthecity.Theprotestsjoinedthousandsofpeopleunderacommoncause,astheyjoinedtogetherinprotestoftheoppressiveactionsofthewealthiestelites.WhileNewYorkCityisaneconomiccenteroftheUnitedStates,italsorepresentstheworstofeconomicinequalityinthecountry.Thediversityofthemovementbroughtawiderangeofbackgroundsandperspectivestogether,astheyfoughtforthebetteringofeconomicconditions.Theunityofsuchadiversegroupmadethisprotestrepresentativeofthecityitself.Everybackgroundisrepresentedthroughoutthecity,asitisoneofthemostculturallydiverseplacesintheworld.OccupyWallStreetbroughtthepeopleofthecitytogetherthroughthecreationofacommonenemy. [1]MichaelMoore,“ThePurposeofOccupyWallStreetistoOccupyWallStreet”(Nation294,no.14,April2012),12.’” [2]JocelynNovek,“ProtestersWantWorldtoKnowThey’reJustLikeUs”,LongIslandPress,October10,2011. [3]Ibid. [4]Anonymous,“OriginsofOccupyWallStreet;AsOccupyWallStreetcommemoratesitsone-yearanniversaryonSept.17,hereisalookbackattheearlydaysofthemovementinLowerManhattan.”WallStreetJournal,September15,2012,1. [5]Novek. [6]AnthonyDimaggioandPaulStreet,“OccupyWallStreet,MassMediaandProgressiveChangeintheTeaPartyEra”,EconomicandPoliticalWeekly46,no.47(November2011),10. [7]JamesMcKinleyJr.,“WomanFoundGuiltyofAssaultingOfficeratanOccupyWallStreetProtest”,TheNewYorkTimes,May6,2014,20. [8]MotherJonesNewsTeam,“OccupyWallStreet,aGlobalMovement”,MotherJones,October4,2011. [9]HaoCao,“ANoneventfulSocialMovement:TheOccupyWallStreetMovement’sStruggleOverPubliclyOwnedPrivateSpace”InternationalJournalofCommunication11,2017,3163. [10]Ibid. [11]LukeWinslow,“NotExactlyaModelofGoodHygiene’:TheorizinganAestheticofDisgustintheOccupyWallStreetMovement”,CriticalStudiesinMediaCommunications34,no.3,2017,278. [12]Cao. [13]Ibid. [14]Ibid. [15]JoeWeisenthalandRobertJohnson:“Here’sHowOccupyWallStreetCametoaSudden,UnexpectedEndToday”,BusinessInsider,November15th,2011. BrooklynBridgeOnesignificantprotestduringOccupyWallStreettookplaceontheBrooklynBridge,resultinginthearrestofmanyprotesters.ThiswasoneoftherareoccasionsofOccupyWallStreetmovingoutofZuccottiPark. NewYorkStockExchange AtthecenteroftheOccupyWallStreetmovementwastheNewYorkStockExchange.Theprotestersintentionallysetupcampclosetothisbuilding,andtargetedthevaluesthestockexchangestoodfor,includingcorporategreedandincomeinequality. OccupyWallStreet OccupyWallStreetwasamovementinitiatedin2011toprotestthecorporategreedandwidespreadeconomicinequalitythatwasexperiencedacrossNewYorkandthecountryasawhole.Thisprotestconsumedthecity,astensofthousandsofindividualsparticipated,andtheprotestdominatedthenewscyclesformonths.NewYorkitselfplayed...ZuccottiParkZuccottiParkwashometothemajorityoftheOccupyWallStreetprotesters,astheycampedoutwithtentsandtarpsduringthedurationofthemovement.ThisparkwasclearedoutbytheNYPD,signalingtheendoftheprotest.