Making it Real

A protest movement against social and economic inequality, greed and corruption.  The movement spread to 951 cities in 85 countries.  The first  Occupy at Wall Street, New York, was initiated by the Canadian activist magazine Adbusters, and was partly inspired by the Arab Spring uprising and supported by the  internet  group Anonymous.   The movement was based on principles of  non-violence and global equality and believing that the world’s resources must go towards caring for people and the planet, not the military, corporate profits or the rich.  They asserted that the economic system pollutes land, sea and air, is causing massive loss of natural species and environments, and isaccelerating humanity towards irreversible climate change.   Daily general meetings were open to the public for attendance, decision making and debate.  Occupiers lived simply at the occupation sites either outdoors or in disused buildings, sometimes in tents or sleeping in the open.  They openly shared food and resources and organised responsibilities to run the camps, discussing ways to put into practise their ideas with the public.  Their decision making through consensus method originated with the non violent Quaker and Anabaptist movements centuries earlier.   The London St Pauls site was the last surviving high profile camp of the worldwide Occupy movement.   In February 2012 it was evicted by a team of baliffs supported by riot police.   Subsequent smaller camps in London were also closed by police.