Occupying Wall Street : the inside story of an action that changed America

On September 17th 2011 a small group of anti-capitalist demonstrators assembled amid the chrysanthemum planters of Zucotti Park in downtown Manhattan. Their purpose was straightforward: to occupy the square in protest at the bankers on nearby Wall Street who, having wrecked the American economy, had got away scot-free, continuing to pay themselves eye-watering bonuses while the rest of the country was devastated by foreclosures and layoffs.Now, in a new book, assembled by a collective of writers active in support of the occupation, the story of Occupy Wall Street is being told. Drawing on extensive interviews with those taking part, a thrilling instant history is being brought to the page. In Occupying Wall Street you will discover who is behind the action, how it was devised and planned, and how its daily needs of security, food, clean-up, legal, medical and media relations are organized. The decision making process of the occupation in the now famous call-and response public assemblies is discussed. And the lessons Occupy Wall Street has drawn from the Arab Spring and 'indignados' movement in Europe are examined together with the actions' role in inspiring other protests around the US and the support it has drawn from trade unions and social movements. . In compelling, fast-paced narrative, the key events of the occupation are described as they unfolded the pepper spraying of young women corralled between plastic fences by the NYPD, the march across Brooklyn Bridge when 800 arrests, far from slowing the momentum of the movement, just kicked it up a gear, and the now-famous victory on the night of October 14th when, only minutes before it was due to commence, an announced "clean up" the square was abandoned by a police department and mayor's office fearful of the PR disaster of battling the 3,000 supporters who had gathered overnight .The future course of Occupy Wall Street remains unclear. How will it interact with the 2012 Presidential election? Can it move forward with demands that often appear inchoate? Can it continue to hold the square, and does doing so constitute a sufficient political strategy? Such questions can only be answered over time. But one thing is already clear: Occupy Wall Street: Under the rubric "We are the 99%" the protest has brought to life the most important progressive movement since the civil rights marches half a century ago.Writers for the 99% is a group of writers and researchers, active in and supportive of Occupy Wall Street.All royalties from this book will be donated to Occupy Wall Street. For two months this fall, Zuccotti Park, squeezed deep in a canyon between bankers skyscrapers in lower Manhattan, was the site of an extraordinary political action. Home to the hundreds of anti-capitalist protestors who camped there overnight, and the thousands who visited to join the protest, the park became a magical place: a communion of sharing and consensus in the heart of a citadel defined by greed and oligarchy. In the early hours of Tuesday November the 15th the occupiers camp was destroyed when police swept suddenly into the square, tearing down the tents, library, kitchen and medical center, and arresting hundreds. For the multitude supporting the action it was a heart-rending moment. But if the occupation at Zuccotti was destroyed that night, the movement it spawned across America has only just begun. Issues of equality and democracy, absent from mainstream political discussion in the United States for decades, are today springing up everywhere. Now, in a new book assembled by a group of writers active in support of the occupation, the story of Occupy Wall Street is being told. Occupying Wall Street draws on extensive interviews with those who took part in the action to bring an authentic, inside-the-square history to life. In these pages you will discover in rich detail how the protest was devised and planned, how its daily needs were met, and how it won overwhelming support across the nation. In a vivid, fast-paced narrative, the key events of the occupation are described: the pepper spraying of young women corralled between plastic fences by the NYPD; the mass arrests on the Brooklyn Bridge; the victory on October 14th when an announced clean up of the square was abandoned by a mayors office fearful of a PR disaster; and the eventual storming of the occupation that brought it to an abrupt end. Woven throughout are stories of daily life in the square focusing on how the kitchen, library, media center, clean-up, hospital, and decision-making at the General Assembly functioned, all in the words of the people who were there. The future course of Occupy Wall Street remains unclear. But one thing is starkly evident: Under the banner We are the 99% the protest has given birth to Americas most important progressive movement since the civil rights marches half a century ago. This is the story of that beginning. Writers for the 99% is a group of writers and researchers, active in supporting Occupy Wall Street, who came together to create this book. A list of all those contributing will appear at the back of the book. All profits from this book will be donated to Occupy Wall Street. Publisher's description: "For two months this fall, Zuccotti Park, squeezed deep in a canyon between bankers' skyscrapers in lower Manhattan, was the site of an extraordinary political action. Home to the hundreds of anti-capitalist protestors who camped there overnight, and the thousands who visited to join the protest, the park became a magical place: a communion of sharing and consensus in the heart of a citadel defined by greed and oligarchy ... Now, in a new book assembled by a group of writers active in support of the occupation, the story of Occupy Wall Street is being told. Occupying Wall Street draws on extensive interviews with those who took part in the action to bring an authentic, inside-the-square history to life. In these pages you will discover in rich detail how the protest was devised and planned, how its daily needs were met, and how it won overwhelming support across the nation." "In a vivid, fast-paced story that draws extensively on the worlds of those involved, this book traces the astonishing arc of Occupy Wall Street's first two months. It takes the reader into the heart of the occupation, conveying the excitement and drama of an action that has transformed American politics."--P. [4] of cover.