Occupy Boston

Occupy Boston was a decentralized protest movement that formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2011 as part of the international Occupy protests. It was connected politically and symbolically to Occupy Wall Street, which began in New York City on September 17, 2011, and focused on economic inequality, concentrated financial power, political influence, and the conditions summarized by the movement's “99 percent” language. Rather than operating as a conventional organization, Occupy Boston functioned as a collective of participants using open meetings, working groups, demonstrations, public education, mutual support, and consensus-oriented decision-making. The movement established its principal encampment at Dewey Square in Boston's Financial District on September 30, 2011, across from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The location gave the protest a direct visual and geographic relationship to the city's financial institutions. During October, demonstrators expanded onto another section of the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Tents and informal public facilities grew over the following days, with the encampment eventually including roughly 90 tents on either side of a route called “Main Street,” together with additional tents in areas participants called “Student Village” and “Weird Street.” The camp served both as a protest site and as a community infrastructure for meetings, discussions, organizing, and visitors. Occupy Boston also developed educational and cultural projects. A tent library was established at the encampment and later named the Audre Lorde to Howard Zinn, or “A to Z,” Library. Its stated purpose was to encourage inquiry, learning, critical analysis, and information-sharing about interconnected systems of oppression. The movement also supported The Boston Occupier, an independent newspaper created from within the Occupy Boston milieu. Originally considered under the title The Occupy Boston Globe, the publication changed its name before launch to avoid confusion with The Boston Globe. Its first issue appeared on November 18, 2011, after a donation-funded Kickstarter campaign raised approximately $9,300; the issue had a reported print run of 25,000 copies. The movement participated in actions beyond the Dewey Square camp. Occupy Boston members joined Harvard University students in a November 9 march that helped establish Occupy Harvard in Harvard Yard. Occupy Boston and Occupy Harvard subsequently collaborated in disrupting a speech by Newt Gingrich at Harvard on November 18. These activities illustrated the movement's broad approach, combining encampment politics with campus organizing, public demonstrations, and challenges to political and economic authority. The encampment faced repeated legal and municipal pressure. On October 11, 2011, Boston police arrested 141 people during an overnight operation after demonstrators expanded the occupation onto the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Most of those cases were dismissed before arraignment following an agreement involving the Suffolk County District Attorney's office. On November 17, a judge issued an order temporarily preventing the eviction of protesters. That protection was rescinded on December 7, allowing the city, under Mayor Thomas Menino, to clear the Dewey Square occupation. Boston police entered the site at approximately 5:00 a.m. on December 10, 2011, and arrested 46 people. Although the main encampment ended with the December raid, Occupy Boston did not immediately disappear as a political network. Reference material indicates that organized meetings, events, and actions were still taking place as of June 2012. The movement's longer-term organizational status, current activity, and formal legal identity are unclear. Its historical significance lies less in a conventional product or corporate brand than in its role as a locally rooted protest platform that combined physical occupation, participatory organizing, alternative media, educational resources, and direct action.

Occupy Boston emerged in the fall of 2011 during the rapid spread of the Occupy movement from New York to cities across the United States and elsewhere. Local participants began occupying Dewey Square in Boston on September 30, 2011. The site, in the Financial District and opposite the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, connected the protest's physical presence with its criticism of financial institutions and economic inequality. The Dewey Square occupation developed into a tent-based community with meeting spaces, organizing areas, educational activity, and public demonstrations. In October, participants extended the encampment to an additional part of the Rose Kennedy Greenway. By October 15, the settlement reportedly contained approximately 90 tents around a route called Main Street, with further tents in areas known as Student Village and Weird Street. A tent library was created and later named the Audre Lorde to Howard Zinn Library, or A to Z Library. It was intended to support learning, critical discussion, and the exchange of information about systems of oppression. The occupation's expansion generated conflict with city authorities. During an early-morning police operation on October 11, 141 people were arrested after the Greenway expansion. Most of the resulting cases were dismissed before arraignment. The movement continued to combine local occupation with broader coalition activity. On November 9, Occupy Boston participants marched with students at Harvard University to help create Occupy Harvard. On November 18, the two groups worked together to interrupt a speech by Newt Gingrich at Harvard. The movement also created alternative media. The Boston Occupier began as an independent newspaper associated with Occupy Boston. Its proposed initial title, The Occupy Boston Globe, was changed before publication to avoid an apparent association with The Boston Globe. A Kickstarter campaign raised approximately $9,300 in donations, and the first issue was published on November 18, 2011, with a reported run of 25,000 copies. Legal disputes over the Dewey Square camp continued through November and December. A judge issued an order on November 17 that prevented immediate eviction. On December 7, a Boston judge rescinded the temporary restraining order, clearing the way for the city to remove the protesters. Police entered the camp at approximately 5:00 a.m. on December 10 and arrested 46 people. The physical occupation therefore ended, although the broader network continued meetings, events, and actions for at least part of 2012. The movement's later development and present status are not established by the available reference material.

• 2012

  Organized activity continues after the encampment

  [1]Occupy Bostonen.wikipedia.org

  Available reference material records continued meetings, events, and actions as of June 2012, although the movement's subsequent status is unclear.

• 2011

  Dewey Square occupation begins

  [1]Occupy Bostonen.wikipedia.org

  Occupy Boston participants established an encampment at Dewey Square in Boston on September 30, connecting the local protest with Occupy Wall Street and the wider Occupy movement.

• 2011

  Greenway expansion and mass arrests

  [1]Occupy Bostonen.wikipedia.org

  The occupation expanded onto the Rose Kennedy Greenway in October. A police operation on October 11 resulted in 141 arrests, most of which were dismissed before arraignment.

• 2011

  The Boston Occupier launches

  [1]Occupy Bostonen.wikipedia.org

  The movement's independent newspaper released its first issue on November 18 after donation-based crowdfunding.

• 2011

  Dewey Square camp is cleared

  [1]Occupy Bostonen.wikipedia.org

  After judicial protection was withdrawn, Boston police cleared the encampment on December 10 and arrested 46 people.

A decentralized civic protest movement centered on economic inequality, financial accountability, participatory democracy, public education, and solidarity with related Occupy initiatives.

• Independent newspaper · 2011

  The Boston Occupier

  The Boston Occupier was an independent newspaper created within the Occupy Boston movement. It was initially considered under the title The Occupy Boston Globe, but the name was changed before publication to avoid association with The Boston Globe. The publication was supported by donations raised through Kickstarter and released its first issue on November 18, 2011, with a reported print run of 25,000 copies.

• Community library and educational resource · 2011

  Audre Lorde to Howard Zinn (A to Z) Library

  The A to Z Library was a tent library established at the Occupy Boston encampment. Named for writers and activists Audre Lorde and Howard Zinn, it aimed to promote inquiry, learning, critical analysis, and information-sharing about interconnected systems of oppression among participants and visitors.

• 2011Dewey Square occupation

  Boston, Massachusetts

  Participants created and maintained a public encampment in Boston's Financial District to draw attention to economic inequality and the influence of financial institutions.

  Outcome. The encampment expanded during October and was cleared by Boston police on December 10.

  Source
• 2011Occupy Harvard solidarity action

  Cambridge, Massachusetts

  Occupy Boston members marched with Harvard students and supported the creation of Occupy Harvard in Harvard Yard.

  Outcome. The groups later collaborated in disrupting a Newt Gingrich speech at Harvard on November 18.

  Source
• 2011The Boston Occupier crowdfunding campaign

  United States

  Supporters used Kickstarter donations to finance an independent newspaper associated with the movement.

  Outcome. The campaign raised approximately $9,300, enabling publication of the first issue.

  Source

• 2011

  Expand the encampment onto the Rose Kennedy GreenwayStrategy

  Background

  The initial Dewey Square site was supplemented with additional tents and public space as participation increased.

  Action taken

  Protesters extended the occupation onto another section of the Greenway and organized the expanded camp into named areas.

  Aftermath

  The expansion was followed by an overnight police operation and 141 arrests on October 11.

  Source

• 2011

  Change the newspaper's proposed nameOther

  Background

  The movement's independent newspaper was initially considered under a title resembling The Boston Globe.

  Action taken

  Organizers changed the title to The Boston Occupier before the first issue to avoid an apparent association with The Boston Globe.

  Aftermath

  The publication launched in November 2011 under the revised name.

  Source

1. 1Occupy Bostonen.wikipedia.org