Occupy the Movement

On Nov. 12, Occupy New Hampshire protested in Concord. A small mass combined its ideas, picket signs, and goals outside of the State Building. "This is man-made, not just a cloudy day," Dick Pollock, a fellow Concord protester, stated when asked about the social and economic inequality movement here, Occupy New Hampshire.

According to NPR, the Occupy Movement was initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters, and is similar to the Arab Spring protests overseas. It began in the United States on Sept. 17 as an encampment outside Wall Street, bringing together men and women of all ages, races, and political backgrounds fighting for their rights. It has since spiraled into a non-violent national protest turned violent in cities: D.C., Portland, ME, and in an extreme case, Oakland, CA. The protests led to a death each in Burlington, VT, and Oakland.

Citizens and protesters alike gather in masses for the ongoing Occupy Movement in various cities to gain equality between the wealthiest 1% and the 99% of the rest, hardworking citizens, all unique, but faced with the same glass ceiling since the recession began in 2008.

A graduate of Plymouth Teachers' College in '67, Pollock protests with the Occupy Movement, and has attended gatherings in Manchester, Concord, and Conway, "Manchester is by far the biggest and most developed" Pollock says. Pollock has taken the biggest hit in terms of retirement, but many others are being affected in a variety of ways. Different generations are faced with different issues, whether it be an increase in tuition, a corporation buying out a private business, or a 401K that has been flushed.  

As protests continue and masses gather, the Occupy movement is gaining attention and building awareness. Is this the best protest tactic for making a change? Pollock says yes, "It's a start, the general awareness is growing and it draws people to us. People sympathize; we get horn-honking ten to one over the middle finger, so it's a start."

"People forgot to vote last time- that is what screwed us all up. If you give them an inch, they'll take a mile" a protestor at the rally in Concord, NH said, when discussing the output from the start of the recession in 2008, and the snowball effect the Occupy Movement is withstanding.

As of Nov. 4, over 2,000 towns and cities worldwide are working together as the 99% to "stand up against the greed and corruption of the 1%" on www.occupytogether.org. Activists are using online communication, official Occupy websites and Facebook to coordinate meetings across the country. The calendar of events include: November 25, a mass day of action will take place, "Buy Nothing Day- Occupy X-MAS."

Here in Plymouth, protests occur every Saturday on the Plymouth Common, as well as weekdays in Manchester at 6 p.m. at the Veteran's Memorial park. General Assemblies occur periodically at the State House in Concord, the Stone Church in New Market, as well as the Durham Town Hall lawn at UNH. Check out local meeting places and times on-line to find the next demonstration at www.occupynh.org.