The Occupy movement was an international populist socio-political movement that expressed opposition to social and economic inequality and to the perceived lack of real democracy around the world. It aimed primarily to advance social and economic justice and different forms of democracy. The movement has had many different scopes, since local groups often had different focuses, but its prime concerns included how large corporations control the world in a way that disproportionately benefits a minority, undermines democracy and causes instability.
Worldwide Occupy movement protests on 15 October 2011
Occupy protesters with "We are the 99%" signs in Bennington, Vermont
Protesters with the "99%" t-shirts at Occupy Wall Street on 17 November 2011 near the New York City Hall.
The General Assembly meeting in Washington Square Park, New York City, on 8 October 2011
A social movement is a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political one. This may be to carry out a social change, or to resist or undo one. It is a type of group action and may involve individuals, organizations, or both. Social movements have been described as "organizational structures and strategies that may empower oppressed populations to mount effective challenges and resist the more powerful and advantaged elites". They represent a method of social change from the bottom within nations. On the other hand, some social movements do not aim to make society more egalitarian, but to maintain or amplify existing power relationships. For example, scholars have described fascism as a social movement.
The Gordon Riots, depicted in a painting by John Seymour Lucas
The Great Chartist Meeting on Kennington Common, London in 1848
Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in the civil rights movement, one of the most famous social movements of the 20th century.
Photo taken at the 2005 U.S. Presidential inauguration protest