'Occupy' Protesters Arrested in NYC on Movement's Anniversary

Dozens of Occupy Wall Street protesters have been arrested near the New York Stock Exchange during a demonstration marking the movement's one-year anniversary.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Monday in the heart of New York City's financial district. Police arrested a group of protesters who sat down on a sidewalk at the entrance to Wall Street.

Occupy Wall Street had called on supporters to assemble outside the New York Stock Exchange and to disrupt traffic in the area. Organizers said the demonstrations were being held to forward the goal of a "just and sustainable world."

The Occupy Wall Street movement began a year ago as protest against what its adherents say is a system of corporate greed and economic inequality in the United States.

Activists began their New York protests on September 17 last year, and assembled a camp in a nearby park to organize and discuss their efforts. The scene was repeated in cities across the country, including Washington and Oakland.


Protesters pushed for a wide array of reforms, including on banking, campaign finance and environmental issues.

But after several months, police broke up the camps in New York and elsewhere, and the movement that sparked conversation about wealth distribution and corporate earnings lost momentum amid unfocused demands.

Monday's demonstrations come weeks before Americans vote in a presidential election in which President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney have largely focused on economic issues.