The Panic in Zuccotti Park: Protesters Rousted After Two-Month Occupation
On Oct. 14, Mayor Bloomberg lost his first standoff with the Occupy Wall Street protesters. On that occasion, he threatened to evict demonstrators to give Zuccotti an early-morning, high-powered hosing. Protesters managed to battle him back with an arsenal of mops, brooms and media attention.
This time was different.
There was no 24-hour warning as the police descended in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. A protester who said his name was Casper Michaels told us the NYPD made a brief announcement via megaphone ordering Occupy Wall Street to disperse around 1:00 a.m. Police also distributed flyers on behalf of Brookfield Properties, bearing the heading “Notice of Requirement to Remove Property From Zuccotti Park” and citing health and fire hazards as their reasons for clearing the area. “That means you must remove the property now,” it read. Read More
