Occupy Wall Street Goes Global on October 15

The demonstrations began on September 17 with just a small group of protesters. Less than a month later, Occupy Wall Street has literally become Occupy the World as protests are planned in nearly a thousand cities worldwide on October 15 to show the global solidarity of the 99 percent with their grievances against the 1 percent.

Less than a month after a small group of protesters with signs descended on Wall Street on September 17 and decided to stick around, the movement, which began to branch in to various U. S. cities by Oct, has taken its message to a global audience. In fact, with the help of social media and websites like "Occupy TV" on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, "Global Revolution," and "Take The Square," the movement that began as Occupy Wall Street with a "We Are The 99%," poor versus rich theme, has morphed into an "Occupy" movement of like-minded individuals and organizations around the world.

Taking their cue from the message of socioeconomic and sociopolitical disparities prevalent in the Wall Street and American demonstrations, protests have been planned for a global "Occupy" day on Saturday, October 15. A website dedicated to the "O15" demonstrations, "United For #globalchange," indicated that there were 951 separate rallies planned in 82 countries as of Friday afternoon.

On October 15, demonstrators around the world are set to peacefully let their various cultures and political systems know that government of, by, and for the wealthy and the corporations has got to change and become more democratic, more of, by, and for the people. The message is stated boldly as the motto for the "United For #globalchange" website: "It's Time For Us To Unite. It's Time For Them To Listen. People Of The World, Rise Up!"

It is as yet uncertain how many will attend the worldwide gathering person, but millions are expected to participate vicariously, i. e. online.

Facebook pages exist for most of the cities participating in the event, with the number of those saying they will attend the gatherings ranging from a few dozen in some cities to the tens of thousands that say they will march in Italy and Spain. In fact, authorities in Rome are expecting tens of thousands to protest in opposition to the recent announced cutbacks and austerity measures enacted by the Silvio Berlusconi administration.

In a direct application of the idea of protesting the financial inequalities and economic instabilities fostered by financial institutions, "Occupy London Stock Exchange" plans to march on London's finance sector on October 15 as well. With plans to gather at St. Paul's Cathedral, there were nearly 14,000 signed onto the webpage as of Friday afternoon.

Although some have condemned the Occupy Wall Street movement as anti-capitalist, liberal, disorganized, and -- as in the case of conservative author Ann Coulter -- modified Nazism as a precursor to totalitarianism, the guiding idea and force behind its success seems to be the nearly universal understanding of unfairness that exists within the prevailing governmental and economic systems controlling the everyday lives of most people. Whether their grievances hinge on the legal prosecution of corporate executives of multinational financial institutions (none of whom have ever been arrested for their part in dealings that led to the financial meltdown of 2008) or the seeming pervasive corporate control exercised throughout the world's governments, the end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or the overall economic malaise contributing to continuing record rates of joblessness and socioeconomic hardship, those that feel as though they are part of the 99 percent (the 1 percent representing the the millionaires) have given voice to their feelings of outrage and marginalization.

Simply put, Occupy Wall Street (which many believe was inspired by the social media-generated rallies and protests that ignited the Arab Spring movement and the overthrow -- and attempted overthrow -- of various governments in northern Africa and the Middle East) has become Occupy The World in less than a month. It has taken on the message of social, political, and economic change. But as a recent Time poll suggests, 56 percent of Americans believe that the demonstrations will ultimately have little impact on Washington politics.

It remains to be seen if those carrying "We Are The 99%" signs will take such pessimism as a challenge to persevere or ultimately prove the 56 percent correct.

(photo credit: Adbusters, Wikimedia Commons)

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