NEW YORK—Zuccotti Park was cleared out on Tuesday after an early morning wake-up call by riot police. At 1 a.m. police started moving campers and equipment from the birthplace of the international Occupy Wall Street movement.
Clashes ensued and more than 70 people were arrested, but reports varied and police did not confirm the number.
By Tuesday afternoon, the park appeared completely clean with approximately 50 police officers and 40 plain-clothes personnel guarding the barricades. Protesters walked around the park with signs. Some of the original Occupy Wall Street mainstay sat on the sidewalks begging for money.
Occupy Wall Street lawyers applied for a temporary restraining order at 6 a.m. on Tuesday.
The court order was issued by Supreme Court Judge Lucy Billings. The official document states that the city, the police department, and Brookfield Properties, among others are “prohibited from evicting protesters from Zuccotti Park and enforcing ‘rules’ enacted after the occupation began or otherwise.”
“This is a victory for everyone who believes in the First Amendment. We will continue to fight for everyone’s right to continue the occupation,” said Yetta Kurland, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild, the organization assisting in the order.
By the afternoon, the restraining order application had been denied in court.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a statement declaring the park open at 6 p.m.
“The city has the ultimate responsibility to protect public health and safety and we will continue to ensure that everyone can express themselves in New York City. Zuccotti Park will remain open to all who want to enjoy it, as long as they abide by the park’s rules,” Bloomberg said in a statement.
No more tents, sleeping bags
“They took everybody’s stuff and they threw it in a dumpster,” said Tiffany Rose, 27. Rose and her husband spent 43 days at Zuccotti Park. In some way, she said, the park became home to her, and she’s sad to see the thriving community that formed fall apart. At 3 p.m. on Tuesday Rose was asking for money at the Northwest corner of Zuccotti Park. Rose and her husband plan to use the money to move to an Occupy Wall Street protest in a southern state.
“It’s sad, it’s empty, there was so much life here and now it’s just this little barren piece of cement,” said Rose.
According to Rose, during the raid, police discarded the library that had more than 500 books in it. When several people chained themselves around the kitchen area, police used tear gas to disperse them. She said police used a chainsaw to destroy the medical tent.
“It was really violent. There was no need for it,” Rose said.
Tents and belongings were collected and taken to the Department of Sanitation for pickup.
The police department declined to provide details on the clearing of the park.
Bloomberg’s decision
Mayor Bloomberg said protesters made the park unusable to the general public. Health and fire hazards were also a concern in making his decision to clear the area. The park owner, Brookfield Properties, asked for the city’s help in clearing the park. Brookfield’s rules for the park prohibit the use of tents and other structures.
“The law that created Zuccotti Park required that it be open for the public to enjoy for passive recreation 24 hours a day. Ever since the occupation began, that law has not been complied with, as the park has been taken over by protesters, making it unavailable to anyone else,” Bloomberg said in a statement.
According to Bloomberg, protesters were given an opportunity to leave the park while it was being cleared of inappropriate items. Some protesters left peacefully. City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez was among those arrested. He was held for more than 10 hours at One Police Plaza, according to his twitter feed.
A mix of protesters, passersby, media, and onlookers continued to circle the park as late as 4 p.m. Drums were beating throughout the day.
“I’m supporting them all the way and I would like them to go back,” said Samantha Gough, 23, who works across the street from Zuccotti Park.
New York State Sen. Liz Krueger said she was disturbed at the city’s approach. “Physically forcing people out of the park or leaving them to face arrest, with no notice or warning, is not a commitment to civil rights and it certainly was not the right way to handle this situation,” she said in a statement.
