The NYPD have finally evicted the Occupy Wall Street encampment in Liberty Square.
From Truthout:
[Around Midnight last night], news broke that the police began a surprise sweep of Zuccotti Park to destroy the Occupy Wall Street encampment. According to NBC News, “hundreds of police officers, some in riot gear, descended on Zuccotti Park after midnight Tuesday in a surprise sweep of the Occupy Wall Street headquarters.” The raid, only days before a two-month anniversary march in New York City for the 99 Percent Movement, was justified by police because of what they said were health and fire hazards.
A livestream of the events has cut in and out, showing a confused scene of protesters huddling and debating what to do. ThinkProgress captured part of the video, which reveals a frantic scene of Occupy Wall Street protesters calling for people to stay calm. View it here:
Other news reports claim that mayors in several large cities have discussed clearing Occupy Wall Street solidarity encampments in a coordinated fashion.
According to the BBC, Mayor Bloomberg’s office “said on Twitter that the protesters should ‘temporarily leave and remove tents and tarps’ but could return once the park was clear.” Several protesters have claimed that police are systematically destroying any personal property found in Zuccotti Park. Bloomberg has expressed disdain for the movement, and has sought ways to remove the protesters from the park in past weeks.
A judge has declared that eviction was unlawful though Bloomberg is stalling on letting the protestors back into the park:
A judge has ruled that Bloomberg cannot lawfully evict protesters from Zuccotti Park and has issued a temporary restraining order against New York City. The order allows the protesters to return to the park until after a hearing on the matter today at 11:30 a.m. In a news conference, Bloomberg said it was his intention to open the park at 8 a.m. this morning but that, as a result of the restraining order (and contravening it), he will keep the park closed until the hearing. The mayor said he had not seen the restraining order, but was aware that one had been issued:
BLOOMBERG: We are now ready to re-open the park, but understand that there is a court order which we have not yet actually received enjoining us from enforcing Brookfield’s rules and so the park will remain closed until we can clarify that situation.
During the question and answer period, Bloomberg added, “It’s our considered judgement that the best course of action is to leave it closed” in the event that “the judge changes her mind.”
So it looks like Bloomberg is playing hardball by using riot police and ignoring a court order. The occupiers however are not giving up.
The occupiers rallied at a 9 AM post eviction meeting and are not going away.
Plans are still underway for a mass action on November 17.
More information about this morning from Matt Renner at Truthout:
Last night, I watched lower Manhattan turn into a militarized lockdown. The park known as Liberty Square was apparently cleared by force, though I arrived 20 minutes after the police barricades encircled a two-block radius, kicked out all media and prevented all foot traffic on public sidewalks surrounding the park.
…
Here I sit, watching the pulse of the Occupy Wall Street movement strengthen. Stories of arrests are being exchanged over a breakfast of apples and muffins. A sleepless crowd is beginning to be reinforced by New Yorkers from around the city as the morning news streams images of a camp turned back into a barren, soulless corporate park known as Zuccotti. But the drums are back. The spirit and the idea of the Occupy movement has only been strengthened. Today is the end of the beginning, and what has been built cannot be disbanded. Now, we stand at the beginning of the next phase, looking into the eyes of the people who created a new consciousness and a new politics.
Today is November 15, 2011, a beautiful day tainted only by the physical harm of those who left their blood and sweat on the cement of Liberty Park.
Read more at the Occupy Wall Street blog http://occupywallst.org/forum/nypd-raiding-liberty-square/ and here.
Tags: occupy wall street
