Sometime after 1:00 am today, the New York Police Department surrounded the Occupy Wall Street encampment at Zucotti Park. Apparently, the move was necessary given the “increasing health and fire safety hazard” posed by the shanty village. Protesters were notified that they were to vacate the park along with their possessions.
It seems that the city was not attempting to end the protest. A Twitter posting by the Mayor’s office said simply: “Occupants of Zuccotti should temporarily leave and remove tents and tarps. Protesters can return after the park is cleared.”
2:30 am: the Police have largely cleared the park, and NYC Department of Sanitation personnel are on-site disposing of the occupiers’ refuse. A band of hard-core protesters have set up a live-stream video from their perspective, barricaded up in the park.
Protesters on the video stream appear to be confused. Shouts of “people over property,” “we shall overcome,” and “that was my tent you bulldozed” are heard.
2:55 am: Remaining protesters are being notified by police that they will have to leave the site, or face arrest.
The Wall Street Journal has more.
3:25 am: The isolated group of remnant protesters appears to be facing imminent arrest. Overheards include “I’m here because where else would I be?”
3:30 am: NYPD are finally arresting the hold-outs. It appears that some protesters have become violent.
–Sam A. Ticker
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