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Worldwide Unrest Strikes a Nerve in US, Hits Wall Street 9.29.2011
A Publication by the Students for the Ramapo College Community
XLII No. 3
photo by Noah Luogameno
Activists who refer to themselves as the “99 percent” have been marching on Wall Street since Sept. 17, protesting the government bailouts of big businesses. By ELYSE TORIBIO with JAKE HYMAN News Editor Staff Writer “We are the 99 percent.” This is the chant of demonstrators who have gathered in downtown Manhattan for nearly two weeks, to protest social class disparity and the current financial system of the country, one they believe has favored the corporations and banks that were bailed out by the government in 2008. Now known as “Occupy Wall Street,” word of the initial march was spread under the name “United States Day of Rage” by many. Activists have been using Zuccotti Park, a privately owned public space located on Liberty Street and Broadway in the financial district, as the activists’ headquarter. In fliers for the event that were distributed on the Ramapo College campus last week, the group called themselves “The 99 percent,” the 1 percent referring to the concentra-
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tion of wealthy Americans that “controls almost all financial wealth” and govern the nation’s political parties. "Stand up agains [sic] banks and businesses running our lives," the flier reads. "Stand up for our rights, stand up for our families.” Despite the clamoring for participation and publicity of the event through social networking sites like Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter (see“Tweets from the Scene,” page 2), few Ramapo students are familiar with “Occupy Wall Street,” or care to take part in it, according to Kaitlyn McKenzie, senior. “Unless you are looking for a job, [the state of the economy] really does not affect you,” McKenzie said. “I don’t think people realize its impact.” “I know a student who went to protest,” Amy Heater, freshman, said. “I don’t really think that protests do much or are effective.” Political groups at Ramapo such as the Young Americans for
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Liberty and the College Republicans have taken notice of the events going on in Manhattan. Noah Luogameno, a member of YAL, attended the protests, and disagrees with the notion that nothing will come of “Occupy Wall Street.” “I think these protests are the beginning of something larger,” Luogameno said. “Already these ‘Occupy’ protests are spreading into other cities and states,” Luagamo said. Indeed, events entitled “Occupy Chicago” and “Occupy Denver” are listed along with several other cities on the website of a group in solidarity with “Occupy Wall Street,” occupytogether.org. Justin Musella, president of the College Republicans at Ramapo, shared his sympathy with the protesters at Wall Street. “Those who occupy Wall Street right now desire change at the highest echelons of their respec-
see OCCUPY on page 2
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photo by Daniel OʼLeary
According to Occupywallst.org, the mission of the activists is to set up camp on Wall Street for months, using the revolutionary tactic of protestors in Egypt to have their voices heard. “Occupy Wall Street is a leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99 percent that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1 percent.”
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