Photo: Ilias Bartolini

Uniting the 99 per cent

30th November 2011 Socialist Action 0

By Andrew Williams

The Occupy movement, which has spread from Wall Street across the developed world, with a dynamic presence in London, marks a new wave of radicalisation in response to the global financial crisis. Its combination of radical forms of protest and a hegemonic political approach – for the 99 per cent – is a positive contribution to the opposition to austerity.

Across North America and Europe, governments are carrying out policies that hit the living standards of the majority of people, in order to increase profits and bail out failing banks. This is meeting an inevitable rise in discontent, but also a political fight over how this disaffection is expressed.

Photo by: Wheelzwheeler

Occupy London: highlighting capitalism’s offensive against the 99 per cent

10th November 2011 Socialist Action 0

By Andrew Williams

Occupy London Stock Exchange (Occupy LSX), in just three weeks, has demonstrated it is an effective dynamic new movement, driving forward a progressive campaign opposing the current assault on the population’s living standards.

Several hundred people are participating and have set up tents for a continuous vigil at the heart of Britain’s principal financial centre. They are taking inspiration from the global movement that has been occupying public spaces in over 900 cities since the Wall Street protest started seven weeks ago.

Photo: Eduardo Carrasco

We are the 99 per cent

20th October 2011 Socialist Action 0

By Jane West

The US ‘Occupy Wall St’ protest – which itself marks the emergence of the first signs of a radicalisation in the US in response to the global economic crisis – inspired a global ‘Day of Rage’ last weekend (15th/16th October) focused on the world’s stock markets and financial systems, which saw protests in most of the advanced capitalist countries.

The Occupy Wall St protest itself began on 17th September under the slogan of ‘We are the 99 per cent’ – referring to the disparity between the 1 per cent that own 40 per cent of the wealth in America and the 99 per cent that share the rest.

On 15th October, the movement went global, with rallies of various sizes reported in 951 cities in 80 countries. The Guardian featured a world map showing the location of the main protests.