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Occupy Wall Street explainer

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The #OccupyWallStreet meme (and hashtag) is born – Adbusters publishes a call to action on their blog and via social media, accompanied by campaign materials available in Issue #97 of the magazine.  

August 2011

Independent activist groups get behind Adbusters’ #OccupyWallStreet movement, urging supporters to adopt nonviolent tactics in the upcoming protest. Anonymous releases a new video to spread the word.

September 17, 2011

The first #OccupyWallStreet supporters converge on the financial district for an “indefinite” protest. Approximately 1,000 protesters marched through the area, with 100-200 settling in for the night. Small numbers of arrests are made in the following days.

September 24, 2011

Wall Street activists march out of the park and through the financial district, resulting in confrontations with NYPD. Violence ensues as police break out the pepper spray, using force and making more arrests.

October 1, 2011

The movement spreads to Seattle, Los Angeles and Maine. They join protests that have already started in other US cities including Chicago, Boston and San Francisco.

October 5, 2011

Major labour unions endorse Occupy Wall Street protests. Canadian groups like the BC Federation of Labour later announce their support for local Occupy events.

October 6, 2011

More cities join the fight – starting Occupy protests in Philadelphia, Tampa, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Cleveland, Portland, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

October 12, 2011

New York’s Mayor Bloomberg and the NYPD notify Occupy Wall Street participants that Zuccotti Park will close for a scheduled “cleaning”, beginning at 7 a.m. on October 14. They are told that after the cleaning, new rules will take effect in the park prohibiting tents, camping gear and “lying down”. Protesters respond by arranging their own clean-up crews, and by calling on additional supporters to help “defend the occupation from eviction”.

October 14, 2011

Confrontations are averted and supporters celebrate a “major victory” as authorities announce that the scheduled Zuccotti Park cleaning has been postponed. Police take 14 protesters into custody, including some who sat or stood in the street. Meanwhile, participants in Denver and New Jersey are ordered to vacate encampments or risk arrest.

October 15, 2011

Publicized on social networks as “Global Revolution Day”, an even greater number of new occupations around the world are set to begin. Cities joining the movement to stand in solidarity with Wall Street protesters include Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Sydney, and many more. It is also the date listed on posters and Facebook groups for broader, country-wide movements like OccupySweden, OccupyNewZealand, OccupyTaipei, and OccupyFrance.

For additional coverage of #OccupyVancouver protests, see these other Vancouver Observer reports:

Mayor Gregor Robertson’s statement regarding #OccupyVancouver

Occupy Wall Street, and then what?

Can Occupy Wall Street cross the chasm?

Adbusters' "Occupy Wall Street" modeled on Egypt protests

Adbusters' Kalle Lasn: the brilliant flawed genius behind Occupy Wall Street

 

 

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