COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
One year ago, thousands of demonstrators took to Wall Street in New York City and other cities around the world to protest against banks and government officials.
An Occupy campaign soon appeared in Columbia, but one year later, critics say the entire movement has fizzled out.
So what happened?
Occupy Columbia had been a round-the-clock fixture at the South Carolina State House for about a month and a thorn in the side of state officials, including Gov. Nikki Haley.
Then in a driving rain on the night of Nov. 16, the state showed it had had enough. Officers took 19 people into custody.
David Arroyo was one of those 19 people.
"It was kind of a scary moment, because we didn't know what was going to happen," Arroyo said.
The arrests of Occupiers for defying orders to take down their tents and get off the State House grounds led to legal actions and some vindication for the protesters, but state leaders passed temporary rules banning overnight protests and it took Occupy Columbia three months to return to the State House.
The movement never seemed to regain its footing and internal conflicts began to chip away at the group's solidarity.
"It probably did have a demoralizing effect to some extent," said protestor Cathering Fleming Bruce. "I think there were also some other thing, you some people who wanted to go in different directions. So that on top of these other internal issues I think did have an effect, yes."
Today, there are no signs of protests on the capital grounds. No sign waving Occupiers on Gervais Street. No tents, sleeping bags, or security officers keeping watch.
The group still has a Facebook page, but a web site that once featured live streaming of Occupy meetings is no longer functioning and the protesters have moved on to other pursuits.
"I do think we accomplished giving a positive sense to individuals. That they can stand up, that they can make change individually," Bruce said.
"For me, it was kind of confirmation of my own conviction that I didn't just say that the world was screwed up or that you know the country was going in the wrong direction," Arroyo said. "It was proof to myself that I did in fact believe that."
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