How Occupy Wall Street Changed Us, 10 Years Later | Time

Ten years ago, on November 15, Occupy Wall Street was pepper-sprayed into the night by a squadron of police officers who helped shovel the ... Business SomeSayOccupyWallStreetDidNothing.ItChangedUsMoreThanWeThink SomeSayOccupyWallStreetDidNothing.ItChangedUsMoreThanWeThink By JamesA.Anderson November15,20211:31PMEST Tenyearsago,onNovember15,OccupyWallStreetwaspepper-sprayedintothenightbyasquadronofpoliceofficerswhohelpedshovelthetents,books,andplacardsleftbyactivistsintoafleetofsanitationtrucks.Amessy,motley,andspiriteddemonstration,Occupystartedasamarchofsome2,000peopleinlowerManhattanthatmushroomedtoapproximately1,000similarprotestsacrossthecountry.Itseizedenoughmediacoveragetoappearlikeamomentinthemaking,asitamplifiedoutrageoverAmerica’sskeweddistributionofwealthandopportunity.Andyet,asquicklyasitstarted,itwasgonewithin59days. Inthedecadesinceitsdemise,scoresofobservers—andevenparticipants—havesaidOccupyWallStreetfellshort.PunditsincludingNewYorkTimescolumnistAndrewRossSorkinhavewrittenthatitwillamounttonothingmorethananasteriskinthehistorybooks.Then,there’sMicahWhite,editorattheactivistmagazineAdbusters.White’semailblastbeforetheprotestbeganiscreditedwithsparkingtheideabehindOccupy.Butinthe10yearssincetheprotestended,WhitehasdeemedOccupyadisappointmentsinceitneverachievedwhatitsetouttodo.Inhis2016book,TheEndofProtest.ANewPlaybookforRevolution,Whitewrote,“anhonestassessmentrevealsthatOccupyWallStreetfailedtoliveuptoitsrevolutionarypotential:Wedidnotbringanendtotheinfluenceofmoneyondemocracy,overthrowthecorporatocracyofthe1percentorsolveincomeinequality.”HeconcludedbycallingOccupy“aconstructivefailurebecausethemovementrevealedunderlyingflawsindominantandstillprevalenttheoriesofhowtoachievesocialchangethroughcollectiveaction.” Atfirstglance,itmightseemasifOccupycameandwentwithoutleavingmuchofalegacy.Itneversolidifiedaroundaspecificsetofdemands,nordiditgenerateaconcreteplatform.There’snosignificantflesh-and-bonesorganizationtopointtoasitsheir.Anditneveranointedaleadershipteam.There’sabigproblemwiththatconclusion,however:Occupy’smessagingjustwon’tgoaway.Itpermeatespoliticaldiscourseabouttheglobaleconomy.IthascementednotionsofeconomicinequalitysquarelyinD.C.policydebates.IdeasthatwerethoughttobetoosocialistsincethedemiseoftheEasternBloc—classstruggle,wealthdistributionacrosssocialstrata,orevenflawsinthecapitalistsystem—weresuddenlyairedloudlyandfrequentlyforthefirsttimesincetheGreatDepression. SparkingnewyouthmovementsOccupy,NobellaureateJosephStiglitztoldTIME,“ispartofaseriesofeventsthatprecipitateanunderstandingofthelimitationsofcorporateAmerica,somethingthattodayhasmorphedintoasenseofthemisdeedsnotonlybythefinancialsector,thefossilfuelsector,andnowbybigtech.Itwasthefirstcritiquethatcrystallizeditinaverypowerfulway.Subsequentmovementsbuiltongrowingunderstanding,asensethatthecorporatesectorisnotreallyservingAmericaninterests.”Occupyalsoseizedtheimaginationoftwokeydemographicsontherise.Thefirstofthese:Millennials,manyofwhomparticipatedinthemovement’sManhattanlaunchoranyofthesimilarprotestsaroundthecountry.ThesustainedprotestalsoleftalastingimpressiononGenerationZ,acohortthatwasjustbecomingawareofaturbulentworldaroundit.Poweredbyyouthfulexuberance,Occupynotonlyrousedaspiritofprotest,butalsohelpedcreateatemplateforpeacefulresistancethatcouldincludeequalmeasuresofsocialmediaandold-fashionedphysicalpresence.Notbadfortwoweeksofwork—orasVladimirLeninwrote,“Insomedecadesnothinghappens—insomeweeksdecadeshappen.”MillennialswerepivotalingettingOccupy’smessageouttoparticipantsandthemediaalike.Amajorityofparticipantswereyoungstudentsandcollegegraduateswhoweresteepedinstudentloandebt,accordingtoCUNYsociologistRuthMilkman’sstudiesofNewYorkCity’sOccupyenclave.AsthefirstAmericangenerationtoembracesocialmedia,theyusedTwitterandFacebooktoissueacalltoactionandlatercoordinateactivities.ElectricaloutletsatZuccottiParkmadeitpossibletosetupamakeshiftcommunicationspost,oneprotestersusedtocontactmediaanddocumentdailyactivities. ReadMore:TheRacialReckoningWentGlobalLastYear.Here’sHowActivistsin8CountriesAreFightingforJusticeOccupywasnotcreatedbyanyonecentralizedgroup,nordiditgivebirthtoanorganizationofformalmovement.Itembracedanopen-source,horizontalstructure,moreinlinewithasoftwaredeveloper’sorganizationalhierarchy.Keyfiguresinthemovementincludinglate-professorandlong-timeactivistDavidGraebersaidthestructurewasdeliberate,thegoalbeinganewdemocraticmodelwhichwouldfollowthewillofthepeople.Theresult,however,wasastandstillmiredinglacialdebatesthatfailedtoproduceaplatformorleadership.Andyet,Occupyseemtopullinsupportfromdisparategroups.TheattractionlayinthefactthatOccupymembershipwasneverlimitedbynarrowgoalsormessaging,saysAmericanUniversitymarketingprofessorSonyaGrier.“ItwasbroadenoughtocapturealltheassociationstheAmericanpubliccouldgenerateatthetime,”shesays.“Evenabsentaunifyingstrategicactionplan,OccupyWallStreethadthelegstospreadtodifferentsocietalgroupsinawaythatcontinuestothepresent.”AlonglineofprotestsfollowedinOccupy’swakeandoweitadebtofgratitude.WiththehelpofOccupyveterans,theFightfor$15fairwagemovementstartedlessthanayearaftertheZuccottiParkencampmentwasshutdown.BlackLivesMatter,#MeToo,theanti-Trumpwomen’smarches,andtheMarchforOurLivescertainlydrewinspirationfromOccupy.ThemovementhelpedpropelBernieSanders’Democratic-Socialistpresidentialcampaign.ThereisadirectlinkbetweenOccupy’sfocusoneconomicdisparityandtheascendancyoftheDemocraticparty’sProgressivecaucus. “ThesuccessofOccupyopenedtheeyesofalotofparticipantstowhatprotestwasandhowitcouldmakeadifference,”saysCUNY’sMilkman.“Inaway,itmadeprotestcoolforanewgenerationofyoungpeopleforthefirsttimesincethelate1960’s.”Millennialsareoftenmalignedasachangeableanddisconnectedgenerationgluedtotheirsmartphonescreens.That’soffthemark,saysCUNY’sMilkmanwhosestudieshavetrackedagroupofseveralhundredOccupiersovertime.Shesaysasubstantialmajorityhavecontinuedacommitmenttochange,someasactivists,someasparticipantsinothersocialmovements,andsomeaslabororganizers.Inmanyways,Occupy’sfunctionasaloudspeakermarkedatippingpointforothergroupsaswell.In2011,laborunionssawanopening,andseveraldeclaredsupportforOccupyormarchedincludingNewYorkCitytransitworkers,aTeamsterslocal,andlaterlongshoremenatanOakland,Californiaoffshoot.In2016,awaveofteachersstrikesinredstatessuchasOklahomaandKentuckywereorganizedbyMillennialsviasocialmedia.Andthelabormovement’sStriketobermuscleflexingthisyearlikelydrewsomeinspirationfromOccupy.ReadMore:WhattheLaborMovementNeedstoKeep‘Striketober’Going,AccordingtoNewAFL-CIOLeaderLizShuler AwaveofmediaexposureLocationplayedabigpart,too.Occupy’sheadquarterswas,ofcourse,inAmerica’snewsmediacapital.BasecampforthemovementwasZuccottiPark,acompact33,000square-footpublicspacesmallenoughtobeaguiltsliceintheglutton’sbanquetthatislowerManhattanrealestate.Theirony:Zuccottiwasprivatelyowned.ItsownershadwonazoningconcessionthatpreventedMayorMichaelBloombergfromoutrightevictingOccupy’sprotestersandhelpeditslongevity.Fromthestart,Occupydelivereddrama.Earlyon,NewYorkPolicepepper-sprayedseveralfemaleOccupiers.Later,policeclashedwithmarchparticipantsandarrested700protesters.Theresultwasagroundswellofpublicity.Occupystartedslowly,drawingin2%oftotalnewscoveragebytheendofitssecondweek,asmeasuredbythePewResearchCenter.Bymid-November,thatnumberhadgrownsteadilyto13%whiledrivingeconomicissuestoabsorbalmostaquarterofnewscasts.Forperspective,considertwonumbers.Thefirstis20+million,thecombinedaudiencethatsatdownforeveningnewscastsofthebigthreebroadcastersABC,CBS,andNBC,accordingtoNielsen.Atanaveragecostof$55,000fora30-secondcommercialslot,Occupyatitspeakwasgeneratingalevelofmediaattentionroughlyequivalentofnearly$1millioninfreeadvertisingnightly. Bythebeginningofitssecondmonth,theexposurewashelpingOccupymakeinroads.AsurveyconductedinlateOctoberfoundaslimmajorityofparticipants(39%to35%)supportedratherthanopposedthemovement.Contrastthosenumberswitha32%-44%support/opposeratiogeneratedbytheTeaPartymovementatthetimeandOccupy’spullbecomesclear.“Whenmainstreammedia,politiciansandpeoplemillingatthewatercooleraretalkingaboutpoliticalandeconomicinequality,theOccupiersarewinning,”wroteUniversityofCaliforniaIrvinepoliticalscienceprofessorDavidS.Meyeratthetime.Theoriginsof‘the1%’AnyretrospectiveofOccupymustincludeseriousconsiderationofitsrallyingcry:“Wearethe99%.”EconomistssuchasStiglitzandThomasPikettymayhavealreadybeenstudyingthewayinequalityhadwedgedashockinglywidegapbetweenhaves-in-excessandhave-nots,butinjust14characters,Occupyorganizerscreatedamessagethatframedtheoutragemillionsandput“the1%”onnotice.Theywerearmedwithadeftturnofphrasemadefordailydistributiononacrescendoofnewscoverage.Inthisway,OccupyechoedtheTeaPartyandmillionsofothersonthepoliticalleft,rightandcenterwhoweresufferingduringtheheightoftheGreatRecessionandconcurrentlyexpressingoutrageatbankbailoutsthatleftthemstranded. Occupy’smessagecontinuestoresonate.ExhibitA:PresidentJoeBiden,whohastargetedthe1%repeatedlywhilepushingtooverhaulU.S.taxpolicytohelpfundinfrastructureimprovementsandanaggressivesocialagenda.HisadministrationisalsoreportedlyseekingtomakegoodonyetanotherofOccupy’sideas:debtcancellation.The2020DemocraticPartyplatformpointedoutthatincomesforthetop1%inthecountryweregrowingfivetimesfasterthanthoseofthebottom90percent.Andlet’snotforgetAlexandriaOcasio-Cortez,whose“TaxtheRich”dressatthisyear’sMetGalaeventseemstoleapstraightoutofanOccupypret-a-portereveningcollection.ReadMore:ErasingStudentDebtMakesEconomicSense.SoWhyIsItSoHardtoDo?“Occupy’slegacyisthecommonsenseattentiontoinequality,”saysauthorAstraTaylorwhoparticipatedintheprotestandlaterco-authoredabookchroniclingitsday-to-dayprogression.“StructuralissuessuchaspovertywereexaminedbeforeOccupy,butweresubterraneaninAmericandiscourse,”shesays.“Occupybroughtthemtothesurfaceandinthatwaymadetheeverydayexperienceofrealpeoplenews.”Occupy’sunprecedentedmediasuccesshelpedmakethe99%and1%labelscommonplace.TheninemonthsprecedingOccupyweremarkedbyglobalupheaval,somuchsothatTIMEnamed“TheProtester”thepersonoftheyearin2011.TheArabSpringof2011hadtoppleddespoticgovernmentsinEgypt,TunisiaandLibya.InEurope,theIndignadosprotestsagainsttheSpanishgovernment’sausteritymeasuresfollowedsoonafter.BythetimeofitslaunchonSeptember17,Occupyhademergedasthelatestinaglobalwaveofmassdiscontent. Alegacyleft,rightandcenterThelastingeffectsofOccupyarenotisolatedtotheLeft.AsurgeinpopulismisvisibleacrosstheAmericanpoliticalspectrumandmuchoftheRight’smessagingcanbetracedbacktothediscontentOccupycrystallized.DonaldTrumpwasabletoleapfrogacrowdofRepublicancontendersin2016inpartbyhintingearlyonaboutraisingtaxationratesfortherich—onlytoU-turnlater.Hiscloseadviser,SteveBannonhasidentifiedagrowingdistrustofelitesbyapredominatelywhiteworkingclassaskeytoTrump’spopularity.“Thenotionofmoneycorruptingpolitics,ofcorporatewelfare,andofcronycapitalism—thisisthestuffthatleft-andright-wingpopulismaremadeof,”saysRobertReich,formerlyaneconomicadvisertotheClintonadministration.Indeed,Bannon,whosefilmOccupyUnmaskedclaimedtoexposeanorgyofcriminalityattheheartoftheprotest,neverthelesstookuppositionsabouttheabandonmentoftheworkingclassthatmirroredthemovement’stone.Bannonfrequentlypointedtohisfather’slossoflifesavingswhenAT&Tstocktankedinthe2008marketdropasprimemotivation.Occupy’swideappealwasfueledbysharedfrustration,morespecificallyasenseofdisconnectbetweencommonfolkandthegovernment.“Theideaisessentiallythatthesystemisnotgoingtosaveus,we’regoingtohavetosaveourselves,”saidactivistGraebertwodaysafterOccupylaunched. The1%,meanwhile,hasallbutwrittenOccupyoff.Themovementhadnodiscernibleimpactonbanking.Nocorporateregulationisdirectlylinkedtoit.Tenyearslater,WallStreetandcorporateAmericaareburstingattheseams.Since2011,theS&P500hasclimbedover325%andnowhasacombinedmarketcapitalizationof$39trillion.Overthelast10years,thewealthiesthavegottenrobusttaxbreaksthankstoasizablewindfallintheTrumptaxcutsof2017.Andsomemeasuresfindthatmembersofthe1%grabbedholdanadditional$7trillioninwealthduringthepandemicalone.EconomistThomasPiketty,whoauthoredtwoseminalbooksoninequalityinthelastdecade—Capitalinthe21stCentury(2013)andCapitalandIdeology(2019)—says,“InequalityhasbeenmovingtothecenterstagesinceOccupyandCapital,butitisnotenough.TheprocesswillcontinueandwillprobablybeacceleratedbyCOVIDandglobalwarming,buttheforcesofresistance(especiallythepowerofmoneyonpoliticalcampaigns,thinktanks,universities,themedia,etc.)arestillverystrong.”Headds,“Whatmakesmeoptimisticisthatit’salwaysbeenlikethis:elitesfighttomaintainextremeinequality,butintheendthereisalong-runmovementtowardmoreequality,atleastsincetheendofthe18thcentury,anditwillcontinue.” MoreMust-ReadStoriesFromTIME Climate-ConsciousArchitectsWantEuropeToBuildLess TheRed-StateGovernorWho'sNotAfraidtoBe'Woke' JonathanVanNess:WeAreStillNotTakingMonkeypoxSeriouslyEnough TheNot-So-RomanticReturnofEurope'sSleeperTrains ThisFilmmakerSetOutToRecordHerFamily’sJourneyRebuildingAfghanistan.HerWorkIsaReminderofWhat’satStake WhySunscreenIngredientsNeedMoreSafetyData WhatHistoriansThinkoftheJoeBiden-JimmyCarterComparisons AuthorMimiZhuIsRelearningWhatItMeanstoLoveAfterTrauma [email protected]. 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