With the “Arab Spring” protests of the past year or two serving as inspiration, Twitter and Facebook have been used to organize a large group of protestors on Wall Street and an “occupation” of Wall Street is currently underway.
Twitter is currently also being used as a platform for non-attendees to weigh in on the controversy, with a steady stream of “for” and “against” tweets either lauding the efforts or dismissing protesters as about to get bored and seek a Starbucks on their iPhones or “burn daddy’s money.” Web activist groups and collectives including The Other 98% (an organization lobbying for corporate and top 2% tax reforms and the like) and the formidable Anonymous have been linked with the protests- more of which are occurring in satellite locations.
One circulated statement urging participation said:
“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. 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.”
Currently, #takewallstreet has overtaken #occupywallst as a trending topic on the microblogging service and even celebrities are getting in on the fray. Roseanne Barr has tweeted on her feed, @therealroseanne , and rapper Lupe Fiasco posted :
If anybody needs me I’ll be on Wall St: # iwilloccupy # occupywallstreet @ OccupyWallSt @ OccupyWallStNYC
Total headcount estimates for the event have not been attempted yet. The protest’s official site is located here.
