The ragtag Occupy Wall Street encampments that sprang up in scores of cities last fall, thrusting "We are the 99 percent" into the vernacular, have largely been dismantled, with a new wave of crackdowns and evictions in the past week. Since the violent clashes last month in Oakland, Calif., headlines about Occupy have dwindled, too.

Far from dissipating, groups around the country say they are preparing for a new phase of larger marches and strikes this spring that they hope will rebuild momentum and cast an even brighter glare on inequality and corporate greed. But this transition is filled with potential pitfalls and uncertainties: Without the visible camps or clear goals, can Occupy become a lasting force for change? Will disruptive protests do more to galvanize or alienate the public?

Though still loosely organized, the movement is putting down roots in many cities. Activists in Chicago and Des Moines, Iowa, have rented offices, a significant change for groups accustomed to holding open-air assemblies or huddling in tents in bad weather. Around the country, small demonstrations — often focused on banks and ending foreclosure evictions — take place almost daily.

Jumping on a proposal from Portland, Ore., groups in 34 cities have agreed to "a day of nonviolent direct action" on Feb. 29 against corporations accused of working against the public interest. Then on May 1, they will try to persuade thousands of Americans who share their belief that the system is rigged against the poor and the middle class to skip work and school, in what they are calling "a general strike" — or "a day without the 99 percent."

But some experts who credit Occupy's achievements to date wonder if the earnest activists will overplay their hand. Some question how many people will heed a call to stay home from work on May 1, especially since labor unions, which have generally supported Occupy's message, say they will not strike for the day. And beyond that, Occupy's utopian calls for democracy and justice may be drowned out by the presidential campaign.

"They've gotten the people's attention, and now they have to say something more specific," said William A. Galston, a senior fellow and an expert on political strategy at the Brookings Institution in Washington. "Average Americans want solutions, not demonstrations, and their patience for the latter won't last indefinitely."