October 6, 2011 - Pre-History: Occupy Athens

Occupy Athens formed on October 6, 2011 in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement that began three weeks earlier. They occupied the sidewalk in front of the UGA Arch in downtown Athens, with some staying 24 hours a day and others coming and going with their work and class schedules.

Maintaining a 24-hour presence in public served two purposes. One was symbolic, to show solidarity and unwavering dedication toward real change despite weather, theft and assault. The second was to provide a public forum for discussion about our current social, economic and political climate.

The Athens Occupier, first issue (February 2012)

Some of the founders of A4E met each other during this time, had wide-ranging discussions and became friends. An early focus on organization building and meeting process would prove valuable in coming years.