This statement and the Occupy Movement have truly become a symbol of the latter half of 2011 reflecting the dramatic downfalls in the economy and public dissatisfaction with the decisions made by politicians in attempts to tackle these problems. The protest has quickly spread around the country being taken on by the enthusiastic "99%". The movement, however, has also been critiqued by many arguing that, in fact, the participants are not as diverse as they present themselves to be. Whatever the make-up of the crowd it is important to point out their incredible ability to self-organize, while noting that the city governments have been nothing but respectful towards the freedom of speech and self-expression.
Since the Movement is addressing today's economic challenges it is only natural to be curious as to the costs involved with such a wide spanning, long lasting event. So, Savvy Student has done some research and come across the following information...
Occupy Wallstreet has became a tourist attraction and has inspired more than $500,000 in donations!
By Oct. 11th the New York Police Department already spent $1.9 million, mostly in overtime pay, to patrol the area near Zuccotti Park, where hundreds of protesters were camping out for several weeks.
By Oct. 27th in New York City, overtime costs were $3.4 million. In Minneapolis, the sheriff’s department reported spending $200,000. And in Boston, the tally was $2 million.
By Nov. 13th The New York Post reported on the effects that the Occupy Movement had on many small businesses in the Zuccotti Park area. They have lost approximately $500, 000 in profits since the protestors took over the park making it unapproachable for the use of others.
By this time Public Safety chair Councilman Peter Vallone reported the total costs of NYPD have risen to $5 million.
At the same time, in a city like New York protests and demonstrations are not a novelty."By comparison, it cost about $50 million for one week to secure the Republican National Convention in 2004." Roughly $5 million spent on the Occupy does not seem to be a big sum in the context of $66 billion annual budget of the City.
Not everyone, however, shares the city officials' respect and commitment to the freedom of speech. Some Occupy participants have reported losing their jobs, because their employers did not approve of their involvement with the protests. It is perhaps an extreme example, yet, it makes one reflect on the ways and means of expressing opinions. The Brandeis community has a reputation of being highly involved with activist demonstrations, but do we often evaluate the financial costs of such?
~Savvy Student
References:
http://www.quora.com/How-much-does-Occupy-Wall-Street-cost-New-York-City-each-day/answer/Avi-Atkin
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article/198990/57/The-Cost-To-Occupy-Winston-Salem
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/occupy-wall-street-costs-local-nyc-businesses-close-to-500k/
http://www.gobankingrates.com/banking/is-the-cost-of-occupy-wall-street-worth-it/
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