Final answer:
The Occupy Wall Street movement began on September 17, 2011, in Zuccotti Park in NYC's financial district, addressing economic inequality and spreading globally, influencing discussions on financial and societal reforms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Occupy Wall Street movement originated on September 17, 2011, when a group of protestors gathered in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district. This action was a response to the growing concern over social and economic inequality in the United States, symbolizing the struggle between the wealthiest 1% and the remainder of the population, hence termed 'the 99 percent'.
The movement quickly spread across the nation and internationally, becoming a global campaign addressing wealth distribution, corporate influence in politics, and economic justice. It gained traction as protestors built a village of tents in Zuccotti Park and organized a system of governance predicated on democratic consensus. Although the police forcibly cleared the area in November 2011, the Occupy Wall Street initiative had by then sparked a wide-reaching dialogue on societal and financial reforms.