Museum Collections

"Occupy Wall Street" is a protest that began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district. The protest was initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters and has led to Occupy protests and movements around the world. The main issues are social and economic inequality, greed, corruption and the undue influence of corporations on government—particularly from the financial services sector. The slogan, "We are the 99%," addresses the growing income inequality and wealth distribution in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population. Protestors at Zuccotti Park created stenciled flags such as these for fellow protestors and for distribution to passers-by. The donor acquired this flag while visiting Zuccotti Park in October, 2011.