Tag Archives: Occupy Wall Street

The Occupation trap in history

Posted on November 16, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Occupation isn’t a new tactic.  Protesters have established permanent encampments to make political claims and support activism many times in the past.  (See our Veterans Day discussion of the Bonus Army.) The camps, dramatic demonstrations of commitment, provide an ongoing … Continue reading →

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Occupy, sexual assault, and internal control

Posted on November 3, 2011 by David S. Meyer

An ABC News reporter called me yesterday to ask about the spate of sex crimes taking place in the Occupations (here’s Alyssa Newcomb’s story).  I didn’t know anything, but a moment of online searching generated plenty of stories. A lot … Continue reading →

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The politics of deflection; Occupy and local politics

Posted on November 2, 2011 by David S. Meyer

While most of the physical confrontation of the nearly two months of Occupy protests has been between demonstrators and local governments, particularly police, the conflicts aren’t very well connected to the substance of the grievances.  It’s not clear that mayors … Continue reading →

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Pete Seeger’s on Wall Street

Posted on October 22, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Ninety-two years old, Pete Seeger walked nearly forty blocks to join Occupy Wall Street and sing.    He needs canes to walk these days, but he played the banjo, sang, and brought along Arlo Guthrie, grandson Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, and other … Continue reading →

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Occupy and the politics of blame

Posted on October 20, 2011 by David S. Meyer

In wanting to speak for the “99 percent,” Occupy Wall Street–and its allied campaigns around the country–has defined a constituency and a target.  The argument is that the economy and government work for only a small percentage of Americans, and … Continue reading →

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How movements work: David Letterman

Posted on October 18, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Social movements succeed by raising issues and giving other people the opportunity to address them.  We call this agenda setting, but it’s not just the agenda in Congress or a state legislature; it’s also what people talk about. Bill Clinton … Continue reading →

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Wall Street still occupied!

Posted on October 14, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Maybe it was the petitions to stay the eviction bouncing around the internet (Moveon.org had one) and gathering tens of thousands of signatures in short order.  Maybe it was the Occupiers’ new Good Neighbor program–accompanied by vigorous cleaning efforts.  Maybe … Continue reading →

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Pushing out Occupy Wall Street

Posted on October 13, 2011 by David S. Meyer

Political and practical opponents to the Zuccotti Park Occupation are now visible on the horizon. The political opponents probably help.  National Tea Party organizations have begun to use Occupy as an occasion for fundraising (as Robin Pravender and Kenneth P. … Continue reading →

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Managing the fringe

Posted on October 10, 2011 by David S. Meyer

When an estimated 100-200 antiwar activists marched on the National Air and Space museum this weekend, they took the Occupy DC name.  Occupy DC, in turn, was a name claimed by already organized groups of activists who wanted to demonstrate … Continue reading →

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What Occupy Wall Street Learned from the Tea Party

Posted on October 8, 2011 by David S. Meyer

This appears in the Washington Post’s Sunday Outlook Section. [I’m fascinated by the range of responses in the comment section.] The Occupy Wall Street movement, three weeks strong and gaining momentum, reminds us that tea partyers aren’t the only people … Continue reading →

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