Live Blogging: Zuccotti Park Cleared

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg put out an order that Zuccotti Park, home of Occupy Wall Street, needed to be cleared out in order to clean the park, where protesters are being exposed to something called 'Zuccotti Lung'.

Some are calling it a "raid", but for the most part, it was peaceful, with protesters even chanting at police in riot gear: "You're sexy, you're cute, take off your riot suit!" (Adorable)

Bloomberg stated the protesters could return to the park once it's been cleaned. For now, some groups have splintered into Union Square Park (where there were reports of protesters breaking windows) or Washington Square Park. Still another group of about 50 protesters was milling around Fulton and Broadway.


Photo posted by Josh Harkinson of Mother Jones via Twitter (4:19AM Eastern)

Additional information from NYTimes

4:32AM - Crowd at Broadway and Pine gathering to figure out what to do next. - @DarylLang

4:57AM - Apparently someone with a video camera caught some protesters letting air out of NYPD tires and person was surrounded by hostile OWS protesters. There's also word that fires are being started around NYC. [Confirmed @ 5:14AM]

5:10AM - More police vans requested at Broadway and Pine. - @Kaymee

5:18AM - @CBSNews reports at least 70 people arrested during Zuccotti Park clearing.


Piles of dismantled tents and supplies from Zuccotti Park (via DemocracyNow)

5:30AM - Occupy Wall Street is now in Foley Square.

Comments

[curseangel.livejournal.com]

Been keeping an eye on this obsessively, following a ton of Tweeters. Best: Rosie Gray (@_rosiegray), ANIMALNewYork (@ANIMALNewYork), Josh Harkinson (@JoshHarkinson), Newyorkist (@Newyorkist), Jamie Kilstein (@jamiekilstein).

There's a livestream here (http://www.ustream.tv/TheOther99).

People have been hurt, free press has been denied, and the police have behaved in some seriously suspect ways. This is frightening. People are being denied their constitutional rights (assembly, free press).

I'd be there now, but I try not to give my girlfriend heart attacks at 6am, lol (all things considered, she's really worried about what could happen if I go down there). Might go down later if it gets less crazy and shit's still going on after I've gotten some sleep, but we'll have to see.

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

If free press were being denied, then no press agency would be reporting on it. However, Mother Jones is via Josh Harkinson. CBS News reported on it. So did the New York Times.

[curseangel.livejournal.com]

Seriously? You really believe that? You believe that closing the airspace so the press couldn't fly news helicopters, stealing press passes, intimidating dragging around and harming the press, pushing them out of the area, telling them they couldn't be there, shoving and pushing press who tried to get pictures or film, doesn't count as the right to free press being denied?

Dude, the NYPD imposed a media blackout last night. It's to the credit of those reporters who did get through to spread the news that they were able to -- and many of them were hit, shoved and/or nearly arrested in the process. This is not "freedom of the press" and if you think it is, well, I have some words for you I can't say on this forum.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

People have been hurt, free press has been denied, and the police have behaved in some seriously suspect ways. This is frightening. People are being denied their constitutional rights (assembly, free press).

They've been allowed to assemble on privateish property for two months with limited incident. I don't know how you can say this with a straight face.

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

They'll regroup and appear elsewhere. But I think it's time for them to move on and formulate the next steps.

[badlydrawnjeff.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure they have a next step.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

A New York judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order allowing protesters to return to Zuccotti Park only hours after police forcibly removed them, arresting dozens.

The order by Justice Lucy Billings set a hearing date for Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. and said that until the matter was considered at that hearing, the city and Brookfield Properties, the owners of Zuccotti Park, would be prohibited from evicting protesters or "enforcing 'rules' published after the occupation began or otherwise preventing protesters from re-entering the park with tents and other property previously utilized."

[dreadfulpenny81.livejournal.com]

I really don't think a NYC judge would usurp the mayor, but this will be fun to watch.

[devil-ad-vocate.livejournal.com]

Whew, thank God the police were not gang-raped by these savages.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

And a no-poop zone, no doubt!

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

OMG THE POOPING!
FILTHY HIPPIES

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

They need to look in to the clearing tactics portland used.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

I am generally well disposed to this movement.

I am also generally ambivalent about this move.

I think Bloomberg has a tin ear and has made next to zero move to engage the protesters.

But I also think it is true that a long term encampment is not sustainable from a health and safety perspective. This is a big city. Vermin are absolutely drawn to spaces with easy pickings, and while there has been hysterical accusations against the encampment with little substance (Bloomberg admitted in his press conference that with all of the police present in the area they have not once observed anyone defecating in public), there is no way an encampment like that is not drawing in roaches and rats.

So a cleaning like this is not exactly outrageous -- and the protesters can maintain a smaller round the clock presence with rotating people.

And perhaps it will inspire people within the movement to actually design a strategy for action to accompany the messaging.

[prisoner--24601.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I agree. I'm all for people being able to protest, everyday and all night even, but that's got to be balanced with public health and safety.

If you read the NYT article, it talks about problems with mold, trash, human waste and refuse. Not to mention that I have to believe that with a crowd that large, you're going to have some criminal problems too. Letting the public sanitation department in to clean up that mess is necessary and really only seams feasible if you clear everyone out all at once first.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

But you know, STDS and what not.

[enders-shadow.livejournal.com]

Have you spent time in parks in Bed-Stuy, East NY, Flatbush?

Minority areas have filthy parks year-round and the mayor and the govt of NYC doesn't seem to give a flying fuck about them.

Strangely, the mayor is concerned with the sanitary conditions of this park while all the other parks in black and brown neighborhoods get ignored.

Actually, not so strange at all. 1% are 1% after all.

Not for long.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/15/zuccotti-park-eviction-co_n_1094675.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

All the protesters should be armed. Because more guns will make America safer.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Clever ;)

High road first, until there is no road.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

Firearms would only provide a pretext for even more violent crackdown.

[htpcl.livejournal.com]

OK now I saw it all over the news. With actual footage. So, yes.