Occupation is a tactic used by protesters or social movements whereby groups literally occupy a public space or building in protest of a situation and/or in a campaign for political or social change.
Problems and Purpose
Occupation is a form of direct action where protesters take over and occupy a public building or space. Occupation is usually pursued in protest against a particular policy, societal or political inequalities and injustices, or simply against an objectionable status quo.
The Occupy Wall Street Movement, for example, began with an occupation of Zucotti Park in Manhattan's financial district[1], in a general protest against global capitalism and its concomitant inequality. A more specific example is the 2018 occupation by University of Sheffield students of one of the university's main buildings, in support of university faculty on strike against proposed pension cuts.[2]
With the problem occupation seeks to address or highlight, the precise aim of an occupation will vary. Some occupations may serve to draw attention to a particular problem and highlight its importance. Other occupations, such as the 2011 occupation of Tahrir Square in Cairo protested specifically against the then political regime in Egypt,[3] and as part of a broader movement resulted in the demise of President Hosni Mubarak.
Origins and Development
Although occupation has been used as a form of collective action for many years, the past decade has seen renewed action and interest through the Occupy Movement which began on Wall Street and subsquently spread to many cities throughout the world.
Participant Recruitment and Selection
How it Works: Process, Interaction, and Decision-Making
Influence, Outcomes, and Effects
Analysis and Lessons Learned
See Also
References
[1] Schiavenza, M. (2011, Dec 12). The Meaning of Occupy Wall Street. Huffington Post. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-meaning-of-occupy-wall-street...
[2] Penna, D. (2017). Breaking: The Occupation of the Arts Tower Has Come to an End. The Tab. Retrieved from https://thetab.com/uk/sheffield/2018/03/17/breaking-the-occupation-of-the-arts-tower-has-come-to-an-end-31010
[3] Al Jazeera (2016). Egypt Revolution: 18 days of people power. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/01/egypt-revolution-160124191716737.html
External Links
A very very brief history of occupation tactics
Occupation as refrain: territory and beyond in Occupy London