How it started...

In September of 2011 the Occupy Wall Street protest began. It started with a group of about 1,000 people gathered in downtown Manhattan who walked up and down the streets in protest until they ultimately settled into Zuccotti Park, two blocks North of Wall Street. The idea for the movement stemmed from the anti-consumerism magazine based in Vancouver, British Columbia, titled Adbusters. On July 13^th, 2011 Adbusters ran an article by the magazine’s co-founder, Kalle Lasn, stating “On September 17, we want to see 20,000 people flood into lower Manhattan, set up tents, kitchens, peaceful barricades and occupy Wall Street for a few months. Once there, we shall incessantly repeat one simple demand in a plurality of voices.” That demand being, “It’s time for DEMOCRACY NOT CORPORATOCRACY!” 

Despite Lasn’s intentions, it seems as though the occupy protestors do not posit any single set of grievances or demands as the protests reflect many points of view and widely different agendas. However, the one commonality between every protestor is they believe they are amongst the 99%. Statistics show that 30-40% of all private wealth in the United States is owned by the top 1% - wealthy traders and bankers at the top of the financial services sector. According to protestors, the top 1% are believed to have too much wealth and power and also to have interests in conflict with the economic well being of the rest of the country. 

http://theweek.com/article/index/220100/occupy-wall-street-a-protest-timeline

http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/who-will-occupy-wall-street-september-17.html

http://www.salon.com/2011/10/08/occupy_wall_street_a_historical_perspective/