Symbolic protests aim at changing perceptions. Everyone agrees Occupy changed the national conversation. The 99 percent versus the one percent is now a household concept. In this achievement, Gitlin saw Occupy as successful. He has called the movement "a moral revival."
Focused political organizing hasn't been Occupy's forte — or aim. But symbolic, perception-changing events are often the forerunner of political reform.
Occupy Augusta has changed the conversation at Colby, but Kingsbury also is aiming at a tangible accomplishment. Diamond, he said, "eventually will not feel comfortable" at Colby.
If private colleges have an insatiable need for money, and if the One Percent remains where the money is, dislodging Bob Diamond won't be easy. But Colby eventually may see its reputation as more important than a few million more dollars.
Related:
What are they protesting? Whaddya got?, Photos: Occupy Boston's student march from the Boston Common, Occupation grows, expands around Maine, More 
- What are they protesting? Whaddya got?
There are at least 99 reasons to grab a bullhorn this summer.
- Photos: Occupy Boston's student march from the Boston Common
On October 10, 2011, students march from the Boston Common to the Charlestown Bridge in solidary with Occupy Boston, a protest in assocation with the Occupy Wall Street movement.
- Occupation grows, expands around Maine
With formal occupations slated to begin Augusta and Bangor this week, and impromptu ones springing up all over the state (including one so far during daylight hours only in South Portland's Legion Square), the two-week-old OccupyMaine movement really picked up steam over the weekend.
- Occupy Providence on the march
It's 11:30 am on Day 3 of Occupy Providence and a small group of activists has gathered at the foot of a statue in Burnside Park to plot a march on Bank of America's Kennedy Plaza branch.
- Photos: Occupy Boston celebrates one-month anniversary at Dewey Square
Occupy Boston celebrates the one-month anniversary of their protest at Dewey Square on October 30, 2011.
- Occupy Wall Street's message
What's everyone so upset about?
- Chomsky to Occupy: move to the next stage
Noam Chomsky has advice for the Occupy movement, whose encampments all over the country are being swept away by police.
- What's next for Occupy Providence?
It was only a week ago that members of Occupy Providence huddled in a pedestrian tunnel on a rainy afternoon and voted 36 to 11 to leave Burnside Park, if and when the city opens a daytime shelter for the homeless.
- OccupyMaine charts its future
"This occupation is not ending," one speaker said.
- Colby students join Diamond protests
Protests aimed at ousting disgraced banker Bob Diamond as chairman of Colby College's board of trustees have expanded beyond Occupy Augusta activists to include a sizeable contingent of students at the Waterville liberal-arts college.
- Photos: Occupy Boston on the National Day of Action
On November 17, 2011, hundreds of Occupy Boston and MassUniting marchers (labor unions, community organizers; SEUI, Local Ironworkers, Jobs for Justice, and more) took to the city streets again in solidarity with another global day of action.
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