A Season of Discontent

by Anjali Cadambi

Fueled by sky high unemployment rates, diminishing job opportunities, foreclosures and shrinking pensions, men and women across America are taking to the streets to voice their frustration and anger over what they deem lopsided government support for the wealthiest 1% at the expense of the other 99% of the people.

Occupy Wall Street started as a group of angry and fed up people determined to demonstrate their angst by taking their complaint to the ground zero emblem of  greed, Wall Street. In describing the organization on its website, occupywallstreet.org, the group says, “Occupy Wall Street is (a) leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.”

Today, at 3 pm EDT, the largest group yet – including fifteen of the nation’s largest unions and more than twenty community and civic organizations – have joined together to amplify the call for a more just and equitable way of running our country. This is their call to action: “On October 05, 2011, at 3:00 in the afternoon the residents of Liberty Square will gather to join their union brothers and sisters in solidarity and march. At 4:30 in the afternoon the 99% will march in solidarity with #occupywallstreet from Foley Square to the Financial District, where their pensions have disappeared to, where their health has disappeared to. Together we will protest this great injustice.” People traveled to New York from across America to join the protest.

Although the movement is young, sacrifices have already been made. Approximately 700 protestors were arrested by the New York Police Department this past weekend and previously others were arrested and some pepper sprayed, according to numerous media accounts. The movement is also spreading. Protests have been held or are planned in Boston, Chicago, Washington, Providence, R.I., Albuquerque, N.M., Spokane, Wash., St. Louis, Mo., Kansas City, Mo., and Los Angeles.

There isn’t one message, there are many messages. There isn’t one point of view, there are many. Yet, the camraderie persists with a commitment to a system that works for most of the people. All voices can be heard and decisions are made by a democratic vote. They communicate through social media and have established a newspaper, The Occupy Wall Street Journal. This is a movement for positive social change fueled by non-violent tactics of peaceful protest. As the movement grows let’s hope our leaders listen.

To learn more about Occupy Wall Street and what the group hopes to accomplish or activities near you visit their website at www.occupywallstreet.org.