We are the 99% is a political slogan used by participants in the
Occupy movement. It refers to the concentration of wealth among the top 1% of income earners compared to the other 99%. It reflects an opinion that the 99% are paying the price for the mistakes of a tiny minority within the upper class. According to the Economic Policy Institute as of 2018, all households with incomes less than $737,697 belonged to the lower 99% of wage earners.
The
Occupy movement was an international progressive socio-political movement that expressed opposition to social and economic inequality and to the lack of "real
democracy" around the world. It aimed primarily to advance social and economic
justice and new 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 (and the global financial system) control the world in a way that disproportionately benefits a minority, undermines
democracy and causes instability. The first
Occupy protest to receive widespread attention,
Occupy Wall Street in New York City's Zuccotti Park, began
… Read more on 17 September 2011. By 9 October,
Occupy protests had taken place or were ongoing in over 951 cities across 82 countries, and in over 600 communities in the
United States.
Political
slogans and inspiring
quotes about social change and activism