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Is Popular Protest Back As Force For Change?

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"It is the response of the U.S. Autumn to the Arab Spring!" — Cornel West, addressing the "Occupy Boston" demonstrators in Dewey Square, Wednesday


The "Occupy Movement" is perhaps the most sustained popular protest from the left since the Women's Liberation movement in the 1970s, or perhaps the anti-Vietnam war protests before that. From the right, more recently, we've seen the Tea Party movement spread nationwide and profoundly influence at least one election cycle.

Is popular protest back as a force for social and political change in America? What do the "Occupy Wall Street" or "Occupy Boston" protests represent? And are they effective means of protest and social change?

Guests:

  • Sarah Sobieraj, assistant professor of sociology at Tufts University; author of "Soundbitten: The Perils of Media-Centered Political Activism"
  • Michael Klare, Five Colleges professor of Peace and World Security Studies

More:

This segment aired on October 7, 2011.

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