Thousands to occupy Wall Street in protest - International - World - Ahram Online

Thousands to occupy Wall Street in protest

The Occupy Wall Street Organization have planned a protest in Wall Street inspired by the Arab Spring, thousands are expected to attend

Jade Chakowa, Saturday 17 Sep 2011


Photo courtesy of occupywallst.org

An activist group hope to launch an Arab Spring style uprising in the US on Saturday, as they expect thousands of protesters to descend on Wall Street over the weekend.

The Occupy Wall Street Organization is a leaderless activist movement led by Adbusters, an activist magazine.

The mission statement of the groups is that 'On the 17th of September, we want to see 20,000 people to flood into lower Manhattan, set up beds, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months,' according to their website.

'Like our brothers and sisters in Egypt, Greece, Spain, and Iceland, we plan to use the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic of mass occupation to restore democracy in America. We also encourage the use of nonviolence to achieve our ends and maximize the safety of all participants.'

Once there, they plan for protesters to set up camp for two months. Together they will decide their aims and demands.

The call to action spread quickly across facebook and the magazine's blog and thousands are expected to attend in New York at 12pm EST.

The New York police department announced that it was aware of the protests and is prepared in an interview with CNN.