Time magazine has named “The Protester” as the 2011 “Person of the Year.”

The publication announced its choice Wednesday morning.

“In 2011, all over the world, from Egypt to Greece, Wall Street to Red Square, The Protester embodied the idea that individual action can bring collective change,” Time editor Rick Stengel said. “Although it meant different things in different places, the idea of democracy was present in every gathering. Everywhere people said they’d had enough.”

Time says the choice is not necessarily an honor, but a recognition of the power of these movements and the waning influence of traditional leaders.

“For upending governments and conventional wisdom, for combining old techniques with new technologies and for steering the planet on a more democratic though sometimes more dangerous path for the 21st century, The Protester is Time’s 2011 Person of the Year,” the magazine said.

Last year’s choice was Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

The “Person of the Year” issue is available online now at Time.com and on newsstands Friday.