In a movement meant to rival change wrought by the Arab Spring, Kalle Lasn of the counterculture magazine AdBusters, organized a Twitter led protest Saturday called Occupy Wall Street.

In response, thousands gathered in New York's Financial District.

The Wall Street subway station stairwell was closed on one side, as multiple blocks around Broadway and Wall Street were cordoned off and bound by a heavy police presence.

Endorsed by the hacking group Anonymous, the police were taking no chances. But looking at an army of bored officers racking up overtime, the general response was summed up by one young New York City officer: "If you find the protest, let us know, because we haven't heard a thing about it since we got here."