December 1, 2011
What is Occupy Wall Street?
The Associated Press
Young women protest at Occupy Wall Street.
Advertiser

Liberty Square. Tents pitched in front of corporate offices. Shouts proclaiming, "We are the 99 percent!"

Hundreds of peaceful protestors currently gather in the financial districts of cities across the globe in support of narrowing the gap between the wealthy and the poor. With more than 1,500 cities worldwide and more than 20,000 protesters and counting, the Occupy movement is spreading fast.

However, will violence corrupt the protests, and, if so, does this violate America's Constitution?

Occupy Wall Street (whose unofficial website is occupywallst.org) is a people-powered movement that began Sept. 17 in Liberty Square in Manhattan's Financial District. Inspired by the recent movements in Egypt and Tunisia, OWS' mission is to fight against the financial powerhouses of the world.

OWS claims that the richest 1 percent of the population controls the "inferior" 99 percent and creates social injustice among the world's economy. The movement seeks to expose and oppose the rich.

Although the First Amendment of the United States Constitution represents free speech, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly, some seek to terminate the protests of OWS. Many political figures attack the demonstrators for being "lazy." Former New York City mayor Rudy Guliani told Fox News that the demonstrators should "occupy a job" instead of Wall Street.

According to CNBC writer John Carney, the protests are "hurting the economy" by "supporting anti-housing." Some who are participating stay camped out on the streets. The homeless have taken interest in the protests, and, in many cases, have found a place to call home. Fellow protestors aid these people, providing them with food and shelter until they can get back on their feet.

Recommended Stories

Copyright 2011 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Popular Videos
The Gazette now offers Facebook Comments on its stories. You must be logged into your Facebook account to add comments. If you do not want your comment to post to your personal page, uncheck the box below the comment. Comments deemed offensive by the moderators will be removed, and commenters who persist may be banned from commenting on the site.
Advertisement - Your ad here
Get Daily Headlines by E-Mail
Sign up for the latest news delivered to your inbox each morning.
Advertisement - Your ad here
News Videos
Advertisement - Your ad here
Advertisement - Your ad here