Described as the “Democratic Awakening,” the Occupy Movement is on par to become one of the greatest movements of our time. Even though Occupy Wall Street is the most popular movement,countries all over the world have joined in; from South Korea, Israel and Colombia to France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Campuses all over the States and Canada have also joined in with movements taking place at UC Berkeley, Harvard and San Francisco State University. There isn’t a day that goes by when the movement isn’t mentioned on the news, Twitter or Facebook, so we thought we’d give you the details on what you need to know and how you can help!
It all started on May 30th 2011 when a leader of the Spanish Indignants Movements, which was inspired by the Arab Springs, called for a worldwide protest. Not long after, the Canadian based group Adbusters Media Foundation (more famously known for its anti-consumerist magazine Adbusters) suggested a passive occupation of Wall Street to voice their disapproval and objection to corporate power on democracy, tackle concerns of a growing disparity in wealth and the lack of legal repercussions behind the global financial crisis. The protest gained more attention when the internet group Anonymous persuaded its followers to join the
Initially, the lack of unified aims for the movement prompted people to say that the success of the movement would be difficult. Even this month, an article published in FT declared that the movement wouldn’t be able to influence politics because of their lack of unified aims. However, Bloomberg Businessweek has stated that the movement is fighting for more and better jobs, equal distribution of income, bank reform and a
With a movement that continues to grow with over 1,500 sites, more and more people are working for the 99%. The issues the movement is fighting for affect all of us so it’s up to us to speak up. Courtesy of Yes! Magazine, here are some things you can do to help the movement (they don’t all require you to camp out!):
1.Attend to an occupied site near you: Find an occupied site near you through Facebook. If you can stay, bring a tent or sleeping bag and camp out with other protestors. If not, show up for a few hours and talk to people to learn more about what they’re fighting for and the goals they hope to achieve. You could hold a sign or help distribute food.
2.Support the protestors:If you can’t make it out yourself, why not support the occupiers? Many of the movements need warm clothes, food, sleeping bags and tents, money, medical care and legal support.
3.Speak out: Spread the word through social media sites. Bring your phone or camera to the movement and share the protestors’ stories; when the world sees the people involved, it is harder to shut down the movement.
4.Share your Story:How are you part of the 99%? Share your story on Facebook, Twitter, and blogs or in print. Make a sign and come to the movement.
5.Name the meaning of the Movement:What will make the world better for the 99%? How have the 1% affected you and your dreams? Update your Facebook page/status, make a sign or write a blog and share your story.
6.Insist that the protestors are treated with respect: ask your officials to treat protestors and their right to assembly with respect. There have been instances of violence against protestors so make sure you insist on no violence.
7.Be Resilient:The movement is here to stay! In the coming months, the movement may fade due to the weather, violence and a number of unforeseen circumstances but the demands of the 99% will not go away. We can stop the 1% so don’t give up and stay involved.
Sources:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/sarah-van-gelder/11-ways-to-support-the-occupy-movement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_movement