Occupy Wall Street Topics

Inspired by the massive public protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and Madrid’s Puerta del Sol Square, hundreds occupied Zuccotti Park near Wall Street from Sept. 17 to Nov. 15, 2011, as part of a campaign dubbed "Occupy Wall Street." Developing a common slogan "We are the 99 percent," solidarity encampments and demonstrations have been organized across the United States and the world to call for economic, political and social change. A global day of action on Oct. 15 drew protests in 1,500 cities world-wide, including more than 100 in the United States. #OWS #Occupy

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  • New York Times Coverage of Media Crackdown on Occupy Wall Street Profiles Democracy Now!'s Ryan Devereaux

    The New York Times reports how, on Dec. 17, "a linebacker-size officer grabbed the collar of Mr. Devereaux, who wore an ID identifying him as a reporter. The cop jammed a fist into his throat, turning Mr. Devereaux into a de facto battering ram to push back protesters."
    Click here to read the article.
    Jan 03, 2012 | Web Exclusive
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    Year of Global Uprisings, from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street: A Special Look Back at 2011

    Today we look back at 2011, a year that saw the U.S. killing of Osama Bin Laden, the ouster of a dictator in Egypt and the death of one in Libya, the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, and the expansion of the secret U.S. drone war in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula. As U.S. troops leave Iraq, thousands of private security contractors remain to guard the U.S. embassy—the largest in the world. The Horn of...
    Jan 02, 2012 | Story
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    Scott Olsen, U.S. Vet Wounded at Occupy Oakland, on Recovery, Protests, Iraq and Bradley Manning

    For our last broadcast of 2011, we turn to someone who became one the faces of the global Occupy movement this year. Scott Olsen, a 24-year-old former U.S. Marine who served two tours in the Iraq War, was critically wounded after being shot in the head by a police projectile at Occupy Oakland. In a rare interview, Olsen joins us to discuss his life-threatening ordeal, his involvement in this year’s historic Wisconsin and Occupy protests,...
    Dec 30, 2011 | Story
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    With Pre-Caucus Focus on GOP Race, Occupy Movement Steps Up Activism in Iowa

    The Occupy movement is making its presence felt in Iowa ahead of the Iowa caucus, the nation’s first nominating contest for the 2012 presidential elections. Demonstrators have targeted the Iowa Democratic Party headquarters and the "Obama for America" office in recent days, protesting measures being considered in Washington dealing with defense spending, a planned oil pipeline and jobless benefits. Next they plan to focus on Republicans...
    Dec 21, 2011 | Story
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    Police Crack Down on Occupy Wall Street Protesters, Journalists on Movement's 3-Month Mark

    Hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters gathered Saturday in New York City to mark the three-month mark of the now-global movement. More than 50 people were arrested as demonstrators spent the day trying to occupy a new space following their eviction last month from Zuccotti Park. While covering the protest for Democracy Now!, two reporters were harassed by officers with the New York City Police Department. After an officer "jammed his...
    Dec 20, 2011 | Story

  • "Worker-Owners of America, Unite": Will Cooperative Workplaces Democratize U.S. Economy?

    As the Occupy Wall Street movement continues to protest record levels of wealth and income inequality, we turn to an author who says the U.S. economy might be becoming more democratic. Gar Alperovitz argues in an op-ed in today’s New York Times that we may be in the midst of a profound transition toward an economy characterized by more democratic structures of ownership. Alperovitz finds that 130 million Americans are members of some kind...
    Dec 15, 2011 | Story

  • Democracy Now! Inspires Protester Profiled in Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" Issue

    Time magazine has named "The Protester" as its "Person of the Year for 2011." Click to read how Democracy Now! played a role in inspiring one of the people profiled in the issue.
    Dec 14, 2011 | Web Exclusive

  • Corzine Grilled over MF Global Collapse After Witness Suggests Knowledge of Misused Funds

    Former New Jersey governor and U.S. senator, Jon Corzine, testified Tuesday on Capitol Hill about his brief stint at the helm of the failed commodities and derivatives brokerage house MF Global, which in October became the largest failure on Wall Street since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. After MF Global went bankrupt, regulators discovered that up to $1.2 billion in customer funds that should have been kept segregated were missing....
    Dec 14, 2011 | Story
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    Ex-Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson, Former Democrat, Launches Third Party Presidential Bid Against Obama, GOP

    A new political party has entered the fray as an alternative to Democrats and Republicans ahead of the 2012 elections. On Monday, former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson announced he will run for president with the newly formed Justice Party. Although hailing from a solidly red state, Anderson has been known as one of the most progressive mayors of any major U.S. city in recent years. During his two mayoral terms from 2000 to 2008, Anderson...
    Dec 13, 2011 | Story
  • Ows_occupy_ports_west_coast

    Occupy Protesters Shut Down Major West Coast Ports, Targeting Goldman Sachs

    The Occupy Wall Street movement moved from the streets to the docks on Monday with a series of actions along the West Coast, including San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, Portland, Tacoma, Longview, Seattle, Bellingham, Anchorage and Vancouver. Many actions led to confrontations with police, resulting in scores of arrests, and in some cases, the use of pepper spray and flash grenades on demonstrators. Several ports were forced...
    Dec 13, 2011 | Story