Tuesday marks the anniversary of the beginning of the Occupy Wall Street, a social movement led by people across the United States rallying for economic equality.

On Sept. 17, 2011, financial equality activists gathered in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City’s Wall Street financial district.

The occupiers would stay in Zuccotti Park for days with signs full of words of hope and anger. Signs reading “We are the 99 percent” referred to perceived income disparity in the United States.

The goals of the movement are to reduce corporation influence on the government, establish more balanced distribution of income and to promote the forgiveness of student loans. 

“No matter how hard someone worked they knew they couldn’t do as well [as the 1 percent],” said Terry Besser, professor of sociology, referring to the 1 percent of highest earners in America.

Occupy protesters also opposed the 1 percent receiving higher raises over time proportionate to the rest of the population’s raises. 

The 1 percent is made up of higher class citizens, including but not limited to athletes, musicians and financial management level positions.

People who are part of the 99 percent generally work blue collar jobs. 

The Huffington Post reported among the protesters, about one-third work fewer than 35 hours a week, more than one-third had been laid off or lost a job in the past five years, and almost half were carrying student debt. 

One of the goals of the occupy movement is to reduce corporation influence on government.

Besser said recent campaigns have been allowed to receive campaign funds from private corporate funding. 

“Over the last 200 to 300 years, the corporations have made themselves so that they have more rights than people do,” Besser said.

Corporations that fund election campaigns are governmental powerhouses.

“It is patently unfair and undemocratic, but because of our broken system, makes perfect sense for the corporations involved,” said Harry Waisbren, an organizer with OccupyNetwork.com

Occupy activists frequently protest the funding of governmental campaigns. 

“They were allowed to invest in campaigns to an unlimited amount of money,” Besser said. “The support will have something really sinister in the future.”

The Occupy movement has not caused any changes in law or government, but it has sparked a lot of controversy.

“Occupy was and remains a powerful outlet for that frustration and motivation to build a better world,” Waisbren said.

Protesters have spread not just across the United States but around the world.

“[The Occupy movement] transformed the inequality dialogue at a global level,” said Angie Carter, graduate in sociology and an Occupy activist.  “We will continue to see discussion, debate and protest around rising economic inequality.”

Carter participated in the movement at Iowa State.