Occupy Wall Street
The “Occupy Wall Street” protest has lasted far long than anyone really expected it to. Despite the fact that it was originally scheduled to last two months, only a handful of protestors began the protest in New York City’s financial district. But a few weeks later, the crowds have grown exponentially. Even labor unions like the AFL-CIO have begun showing interest in the protest. The protest has spread to other cities as well.
But even though this protest is growing in size and is now almost three weeks old, its impact on the folks on the trading floor has been minimal. Trading has not slowed on Wall Street at all. While the Dow Jones Industrial Average has dropped a few percentage points, its volume remains unscathed and completely unaffected by the protestors flocking the streets.
Hundreds of arrests have been made in the streets of the financial district. It seems as if these people, although not affecting the traders on the floor, are starting to get through to the immediate public. The people being arrested are quickly replaced by new protestors. In fact, there is now a large campsite of hundreds of people stationed at nearby Zuccotti Park. The message that these people are bringing is not falling solely on deaf ears. Every day that these protestors stay, the larger their audience becomes. But don’t expect Wall Street to back down. The trading being conducted is vital to the stability of our nation and its financial health. Protesting this is not going to change that fact.
Written by Tom’s EA