In 2011, 'Occupy Wall Street' started in New York, prompting similar protests around the U.S., world, decade later Manhattan lady was rich by $431,000

In 2011, a demonstration calling itself Occupy Wall Street began in New York, prompting similar protests around the U.S. and the world. It all started innocuously enough with a July 13, 2011 blog post urging people to #OccupyWallStreet. It turned out, with enough momentum and a keen sense of how to use social media, it actually is. The Occupy movement, decentralized and leaderless, has mobilized thousands of people around the world almost exclusively via the Internet. To a large degree through Twitter, and also with platforms like Facebook and Meetup, crowds have connected and gathered. Decade later,

a Manhattan woman was awarded over $400,000 by a federal jury after suing New York City and its police department, saying she suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was thrown to the ground by a police sergeant while serving as a medic for protesters during 2012 Occupy Wall Street events.

Mary Tardif won the $431,250 award nearly a decade after suing in 2013. She had sought unspecified damages for injuries she incurred as a medic for protesters at multiple rallies staged by the grassroots movement that began in Manhattan, spread globally, and was known for its refrain: “We are the 99 percent.”


Tardif, who has had epilepsy since she was 19, said she considered the verdict, which found “battery” had occurred but no assault, a win for those “occupiers who never got to see this day or never got to have their day in court.”

Nick Paolucci, a New York City Law Department spokesperson, said the city was “disappointed with this result” and was reviewing options. He noted that a jury in 2018 had rejected the claims before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan reinstated the case, citing flaws in the first trial.

Tardif maintained in her 2013 lawsuit that her epileptic condition was often ignored after she suffered violent abuses from police officers who arrested her at several protests while she served as a medic. The lawsuit said they kicked her, walked on her limbs and tossed her to the ground.

According to trial evidence and Tardif’s statements, the violent encounter at Union Square caused her head to slam into the ground with such force that she was left with a permanent brain injury that leaves her unable to work except for a job where she has flexible hours and can sometimes call in sick when she is completely immobile.

In September 2011, Occupy Wall Street emerged in New York City as a protest movement focused on economic inequality, financial power and concerns about the relationship between wealth and democracy.

On September 17, hundreds of protesters gathered in Lower Manhattan and established an encampment at Zuccotti Park, close to the heart of the U.S. financial district. The movement developed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, when questions about banking, housing, unemployment and economic inequality were receiving intense public attention. The Smithsonian Institution identifies September 2011 and Zuccotti Park as the starting point of Occupy Wall Street and documents its central focus on economic inequality.

Occupy Wall Street quickly became known for the slogan “We are the 99%,” which was used to express concerns about the distribution of wealth and economic opportunity in the United States. Protesters sought to draw public attention to financial inequality and what they viewed as the influence of powerful financial institutions. The movement was notable not only for its message but also for its unusual form of organization. Instead of relying on a conventional centralized leadership structure, participants held open meetings and used general assemblies to discuss decisions, organize activities and debate priorities.

Zuccotti Park became the symbolic center of the movement because it provided protesters with a highly visible location near Wall Street and remained accessible around the clock. The occupation developed into a temporary community containing areas for food, medical assistance, libraries, communications and public discussion. Protesters also used a “people’s mic,” allowing participants to repeat speakers’ words so large groups could hear them. These practices reflected the movement’s emphasis on participation and direct discussion. The Smithsonian has preserved posters, newspapers and other objects from the protests as part of the historical record of American political and social movements.

Although the original New York encampment lasted less than two months, Occupy Wall Street became part of a much larger international wave of demonstrations. The movement inspired Occupy-related protests and encampments in cities across the United States and around the world. Its methods, slogans and debates circulated rapidly through social media, online videos and independent journalism. Smithsonian researchers have noted that the movement helped bring issues including wealth inequality, economic justice and alternative forms of participatory democracy into prominent public discussion.

The New York occupation ended in November 2011, when protesters were removed from Zuccotti Park. Nevertheless, the physical end of the encampment did not immediately end the broader discussion surrounding Occupy. The movement's history remains significant because it demonstrated how a relatively decentralized protest could attract international attention and create a recognizable political vocabulary around economic inequality. Museums such as the Smithsonian subsequently collected signs, newspapers and other materials from Occupy Wall Street, recognizing the demonstrations as part of the history of public participation and protest in the United States.