Occupy Movements in the Media

Abstract

In this century, the year 2011 will be remembered as a historical landmark for mass demonstrations for social change. Starting with the so-called Arab Spring in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, followed by the 15M Indignant movement in Spain and Occupy movements in the USA and other countries, these rallies quickly and heterogeneously spread around the world. Despite their distinctive features, they share some common characteristics. On the one hand, there is a general feeling of indignation toward the political and financial systems, resulting in subsequent claims for change. This public call for change was made explicit in the United for Global Change demonstrations that took place on October 15, 2011 in more than 80 countries worldwide. On the other hand, there is a growing role of information and communication technologies, especially social media networks, in the development of social movements.