Occupy Wall Street Occupies Student's Minds

By Ziggy Chesley

Lately, the Occupy Wall Street movement has been everywhere. It’s on the news, splashed across the internet and other social media sites, and everyone has an opinion about it. But the real question is: what is it really about?

It’s a good question, because this grassroots organization has numerous goals that can easily be confused. “I don’t really know what its about” says Emma Geiger, a junior, “I mean, I know the basics, but it seems more complicated.” When you just look at the facts, it becomes is rather simple. Occupy Wall Street is protesting that all of the wealth of America belongs to only one percent of America's population. They are protesting large businesses that don’t spread the wealth, and that the majority of the population of America is getting worked over by these large groups.

What is getting more attention is the way that they’re protesting. Occupy Wall Street members protest by camping out in public areas. This technique, though rather effective to gain attention, has caused some issues with the locals in the area. There have been many accusations of police brutality, even to the point where New York officials are looking into one of the raids on the Occupy Wall Street protesters. There have been accusations of spraying pepper spray into a crowd, or beating peaceful protesters simply to get out the way. “The amount of force that these police officers are using is crazy! It’s just not needed,” says Erin McAuliffe, a senior.

Some believe that how the protesters are handling themselves is out of line. The protests and sit-ins are clogging up the streets, and in a busy city such as New York, the birthplace of this movement, it can be quite an issue. Some protesters' reactions to the police have been rather violent. There are accounts of protesters fighting back rather violently. One officer in New York had to be hospitalized. “Though I agree with what they’re standing up for, I don’t think they are doing it in the right way,” says Shannon Nadeau, a junior.

What can’t be debated is how widespread the movement is. It has spread across the globe, to Paris and Africa. It has moved through all the states, including Occupy Boston, Occupy Oakland, and a number of others. The movement sparks something in people, positive or negative. The Occupy Wall Street movement has had a huge impact on our society today, and one can only wonder where it will go next.