Can 'occupy' protests break the back of capitalism?

What started about a month ago in the US as a protest against the widening gap between the rich and the poor appears to be quickly assuming a life of its own. The protests began in New York with a demo dubbed 'Occupy Wall Street' that has since been replicated in other cities in America and abroad.

So far the ‘occupy’ anti-capitalism protests are said to have taken place in 80 countries across the world from Britain to Germany and Pakistan.

The participants are mainly protesting social and economic inequality, corporate greed and the power and influence of corporations, particularly from the financial service sector, and lobbyists over government.

Their slogan is, "We are the 99 per cent", meaning that wealth, in the US, is concentrated in the hands of one per cent of the population. The protests, called mostly through social networks have no definite leaders. The protesters have been accused of lacking specific policy demands although they seem to believe they are on the verge of changing the world. But can they?