From the Arab Spring - to America's Autumn, now turned Winter. The Occupy Wall Street movement has marked its 3-month anniversary this weekend.
Images of arrests, brutality, and mass protesting in America over the last 3 months have been gripping the world.“The cops must be smacking themselves in the forehead, because they’ve given such life to this movement,” said Truthout contributor JA Myerson.Not welcome by authorities, a movement against Wall Street, wealth inequality and government corruption exploded in New York, and spread all across the US.“The nexus of all of our grievances was the profit motive – the fact that the corporate sector, dominated by the financial sector, has our ostensibly democratic politics in gridlock, and owns it,” said JA Myerson. Occupy Wall Street has just marked its 3-month anniversary.“What we fell into on September 17th was this moment of frustration and anger with the present system. Now, I think we’ve injected the idea of economic inequality into the public discourse,” said OWS activist Katie Davison. When Occupy Wall Street kick-started skeptics said it would not last long enough to deliver any significant message, but 3 months into the biggest nationwide movement the US has seen in years, it’s clear that the protesters are feeling stronger and more united than Day 1.Critics said the protests would not survive until winter – they have.“We can’t fund education, we can’t fund healthcare, but we can fund the police state, and fund these wars until the cows come home. At what point is it enough? When does the greed stop," said OWS activist Jesse LaGreca. Opponents said the demonstrations would never attract tens of thousands – they have.“I would love to see a peaceful revolution. I really would," said one activist protesting in New York. Many believe the uprising has transformed the face of America.“It’s totally changed the conversation in the United States,” said historian Craig Nelson.The conversation shifted from one on deficit reduction to one about inequality.On Saturday, the occupiers of New York – campless after being evicted from Zucotti Park – attempted to occupy a new public space to use as their base.But confronted by police, about 50 were arrested and others kicked out.“We’re pretty resilient so I think in a short amount of time, we’ll end up occupying space shortly,” said US Marine Sgt. Shamar Thomas. Demonstrators plan to keep going until they see a re-vamp of the financial and political system in the US.“The financial elite is still lording it over everyone, the economy is in trouble, foreclosures are continuing. There are all these real reasons for protest, and the movement will continue," said film maker and blogger Danny Schechter. No matter the obstacles, the goal of Occupy Wall Street is to make history.“We’re growing, and we’re going to be the transformative movement for social and economic justice in America,” added Katie Davison.