It's been referred to as an attempt to recreate Egypt's Tahrir Square protests or Iran's protest movement, but the continued protests on Wall Street are uniquely American in nature. They are surprisingly good spirited and the activists have articulated their demands quite well and have formed a united front for their cause. In an attempt to “copy” what many believe were successful movements in Iran and Egypt using social media, organizers are also taking to the online “airwaves” in an effort to spur change in America's financial center. Kalle Lasn, co-founder of the venerable counterculture magazine AdBusters, took to the micro-blogging website Twitter and other websites to help organize a campaign encouraging tens of thousands of Americans to have a nonviolent sit-in on Saturday in lower Manhattan. Despite the calls, eye witnesses told Bikyamasr.com that only around 1,000 people were present for the demonstration, which continued into Sunday morning after a large number of protesters decided to follow their Egyptian kin by sleeping on the streets. Dan Friedman, who lives in the area, told Bikyamasr.com that “there were about 300ish people left, many of whom were sleeping on cardboard, in sleeping bags, and in one or two cases in tents or tarps.” He added that “some were awake playing music and chanting.” The rally, dubbed #OccupyWallStreet on social networks, aims to tackle what protesters call “outrageous” greed on Wall Street, “which is hurting the American and global economy.” They argue that this greed led to the destruction of the American economy and spurred the global recession. Late on Saturday, police began to form on the outskirts of where the demonstrators had set up a makeshift “tent city” of sorts, and fears began to emerge of a possibly police crackdown. “A huge group of police showed up, marched in file, and assembled as if they were going to somehow organize and do something to break up the protest, but they did not,” Friedman said. “There were several cops in white shirts directing the blue shirts around and positioning them in various places around the protest,” he added. Interestingly, the “Occupy Wall Street” protests against corporate greed fell victim to online exaggeration. Friedman said that throughout Saturday, Twitter was abreast with “local” reports saying tens of thousands had joined in the demonstrations, “but I see maybe 500 to 1,000 max.” At one point, people were retweeting that 500,000 activists had joined the movement. At the end of the day, social media was not responsible for Egypt's successful ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, instead it was the grit of the average Egyptian, who brushed aside fear of a violent response from the government to demand their rights as citizens. On Wall Street, one protester who works for a major firm, said that “at the end of the day it will be the people who make things change and we should have learned through the Egypt example that social media by itself will not get the job done.” The man, who asked not to be named due to fear of being fired, said that “this is why we are going to stay as long as we can and get ideas to be heard.” On Sunday morning, as protesters awoke, images again began to be transmitted on social networks, in an effort to increase public awareness and gain support. The demonstrators have said they will stay at least through the weekend in an effort to show their will to demand change to America's corporate leaders. BM
