New York ( CNN ) -- Police encircled Lower Manhattan 's Zuccotti Park on Sunday as protesters geared up to observe the one-year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street . A loosely organized group of demonstrators first gathered in New York one year ago Monday as part of a movement that thrust `` the 99 percent '' into the political lexicon . The protests spread to dozens of cities across the United States . By 7 p.m. Sunday , New York police said there had been no arrests during the day -- but they put the number of arrests Saturday at about 40 . Protesters faced various charges including disorderly conduct , resisting arrests and felony assault . Opinion : Occupy fizzled , but made 99 % a force . Video of the scene showed people near the park being detained , while others banged on drums and shouted . Zuccotti Park is located in the city 's financial district . The group 's messages have ranged from protecting the environment to protests over education costs . There 's been an overriding theme of condemning income inequality and social injustice . It put out a statement Sunday , saying `` the day 's events are about flexing people power in the streets and utilizing public spaces . '' `` The Occupy movement continues to utilize culturally creative tactics to build the movement for social and economic justice , '' the group said . The movement also has been criticized for its lack of focus , and over reliance on a physical space . `` The camp is one of the central points for the first couple of months and that 's just not a sustainable form of protest , '' said Fordham University professor Heather Gautney , referring to Zuccotti Park . A look back : Meet the 99 % . `` So I think there was a transition into more localized acts of protest but they never reallyÂ had the momentum that the camps had . '' Occupy had `` a problem of transitioning into a new strategy , '' she said . The group 's mantra has traditionally been directed against the so-called privileged 1 percent of society -- such as banks , the mortgage industry , insurance providers and others . The 99 percent is a reference to the broader public , which the group said had been undermined by those institutions . What was the point of the Occupy movement ? Share your view with CNN iReport .
Sunday : Police say there were no arrests Sunday , but about 40 on Monday . The protest movement spread from New York to many cities . The movement 's ire has been directed at the ` ` 1 percent '' of society .