Unknown; Occupy Wall Street Archives Working Group
Object Type
Signs
Description
This poster board protest sign, with the phrase "Turmoil Over Oil" at its center, names many of the chief concerns of Occupy: health care, the prison industrial complex, ceaseless wars, police brutality, and banker greed. The text appears to have been written by more than one contributor and includes one note which veers into the conspiratorial: "Gov Assassination List." In this way, the sign functions as a visual representation of Occupy as a kind of "big umbrella" movement. At its center were commonly held beliefs, principles, and shared ideologies; however, there were ideas at the fringes of the movement that often sparked intra-movement debates and fueled tension between activists. It is not surprising that, in the aftermath of Occupy, several activists who gained prominence for their outspokenness on social media, their willingness to be quoted by journalists, or their general visibility have since joined white nationalist, alt-right, and conservative movements.
Image Description
In black and red marker, the sign says in large font, "Turmoil Over War." Surrounding and overlapping this text are other words and phrases like "entrapment," "prison industrial complex," "lobbying," and "surveillance." The surrounding words are all written in varying handwriting, suggesting that they have each been written by different people. The opposite side of the sign, in red and blue marker, the text says, "This Is Not A War on Terror It's A War in Error!!!"
Citation
"Turmoil Over Oil" sign, circa 2011-2012; TAM.630 Occupy Wall Street Archives Working Group Records; box 18; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University