Another striking anecdote involves David Graeber, an anarchist anthropologist and Occupy Wall Street organizer. During early planning meetings in 2011, Graeber and fellow activists rejected traditional protest structures. Instead of marching with banners, they sat in a circle at Bowling Green Park, debating leaderless organizing. This informal group-composed of anarchists, Zapatista sympathizers, and squatters-became the nucleus of Occupy, which popularized the slogan “We Are the 99%.” Graeber later reflected on the irony of journalists turning to him (a theorist) to explain the “leaderless” movement.
Another striking anecdote involves David Graeber, an anarchist anthropologist and Occupy Wall Street organizer. During early planning meetings in 2011, Graeber and fellow activists rejected traditional protest structures. Instead of marching with banners, they sat in a circle at Bowling Green Park, debating leaderless organizing. This informal group-composed of anarchists, Zapatista sympathizers, and squatters-became the nucleus of Occupy, which popularized the slogan “We Are the 99%.” Graeber later reflected on the irony of journalists turning to him (a theorist) to explain the “leaderless” movement.