Occupy Wall Street Meeting Analysis

One of the characterizing elements of the occupation on Wall Street was the General Assembly meetings held nightly at 7 p.m., “The diversity of the crowd was immediately apparent. Those sleeping in the park, with grimy demeanor and clothing that signaled the rigors of camping out, stood next to smartly attired office worker, who had apparently dropped by on a detour from their evening commute.” (Writers of the 99% 26). Despite the difference within the ever growing crowd of demonstrators the unifying factor between all of them was to preserve and respect the rights of democracy. The General Assembly meetings functioned not only as a way to speak one another’s thoughts but also provoke debate. Lasting around two hours the General Assembly meetings also formalize the upcoming day’s agendas that secure the occupation success.
The occupation allowed for the public or the 99 percent to have a voice and bring awareness to political issues. The intensity of the struggle against the NYPD only mobilized the movement further. The way that public space was used to raise public opinion and debate rather than for leisure embodies the historic public sphere description of Habermas. A public sphere that …show more content…
“The protests in disparate nations have taken place under different forms of government and have varied in the specificity of their demands, all have expressed a similar outrage with the inequities of unfettered global capitalism.” (Writers for the 99% 2). Months before the occupation of Wall Street, protestors took to the streets in Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon, Jordan, London, and Barcelona just to name a few (Writers for the 99% 6). In Spain six and a half million people protested welfare cuts, twenty percent unemployment, and other results of corporate greed. The strategies and organization of the different occupy movements around the world gave precedent to those who planned the New York