Tuesday, November 15, 2011

New York City Police Clear Occupy Wall Street Protesters From Zuccotti Park

The Wall Street Journal Reports, New York City Police Clear Occupy Wall Street Protesters From Zuccotti Park. "Police brought the two-month-old Occupy Wall Street encampment in Zuccotti Park to an abrupt end early Tuesday morning, as hundreds of officers swept in and cleared out protesters and their tents. About 200 protesters were arrested, according to the Associated Press, including many who refused to leave. The raid sent others into the surrounding streets, setting off clashes and marches throughout Lower Manhattan."

I get how the protest could be annoying to residents and the mayor, but that doesn't mean they can just order the police to break it up. The point of protesting is to be in others faces. And if they do order the police to break it up, why does the raid have to happen at 1am? And I don't think the police can keep journalists away during the raid.

I have some respect for Bloomberg for taking full responsibility, "the final decision to act was mine". And to pick nits, I'm annoyed when anyone says this is a free speech issue. They're right to say this is a first amendment issue, but it's the right of assembly not free speech. Bloomberg is wrong to say in his statement "There is no ambiguity in the law here - the First Amendment protects speech - it does not protect the use of tents and sleeping bags to take over a public space." Now I'm sure there are limits on assembly and I'm not sure of the details, but it's not nearly as simple as Bloomberg suggests.

The New York Times has a page with Updates on the Clearing of Zuccotti Park. It's still unfolding because a judge has issued an order saying the protestors can stay and called for a hearing at 11:30 and still the police were blocking protesters from the park. The Daily Telegraph has a similar updating page, Occupy Wall Street eviction: live.

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