A wave of protest has swept across the U.S. and has now spread to other parts of the world. The demonstrations started on September 17th when protesters from the movement “Occupy Wall Street” took to Zuccotti Park in New York City where they have remained since.
Occupy Wall Street began with about 1,000 protesters marching through the streets in New York City, but has turned into tens of thousands across the country and has sparked protests internationally. Currently there are roughly 200 cities being occupied in 25 different countries.
Some have been referring to these occupations as the “American Spring”, drawing comparison to the Arab Spring, which were massive protests in the Middle East and Northern Africa leading to the removal of regional dictators.

Protesters have been subject to brutality and unprovoked attacks by the police, including multiple incidents of pepper-spraying peaceful protesters in the face and mass arrests.
Some question the motives, objectives, and views of the protesters. While some of the views and objectives of the numerous protesters may differ, the motivations for these protests are clear. Demonstrators cite various grievances, including corporate greed, wealth inequality, and corporate influence in government and politics.
With ever-worsening conditions, two-faced politicians, imperialist wars for profit, and continued attacks on the working class and the poor, people have started to become disillusioned from false capitalist rhetoric of freedom, equality, and democracy.

This is more than just some people gathering together to march and camp in the major cities of the U.S.; this is an awakening. It is evidence of the growing class consciousness of the people in this country. More and more people are starting to recognize the fact that they, and the vast majority of the population, are being exploited by the top few in society, the capitalists.

Right-wing politicians are claiming that these occupations are a form of class war; it most certainly is.

However, we did not start this class war; it was started, and will continue, under the rule of the wealthy few. They are the ones to foreclose our homes, cut funding to our schools, send us to die overseas for their profits and then arrest us when we try to resist.

So yes, this is class warfare but we stand on the side of the many, the exploited, and the oppressed. Opposed to us you have the few, the wealthy, and the oppressors.

Closet to the Arrowhead area, there are occupations in Madison, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois. The occupation of Milwaukee is scheduled to start on October 14th.
If you feel that something is wrong with the current system, where the top few percent of society can own the vast majority of the wealth and where interests of corporations and profits come before the interests of the people, join us. Updates and information about the occupation of Milwaukee can be found at “occupymilwaukee.org”.
We are students, we are workers, we are the unemployed, we are the oppressed, we are the 99%, and we are you.