Police Clear Zuccotti Park of Protesters

Hundreds of New York City police officers cleared Zuccotti Park of the Occupy Wall Street protesters early Tuesday, arresting dozens of people there after warning them that the nearly two-month-old camp would be “cleared and restored” before the morning and that any demonstrator who did not leave would be arrested.

The protesters, about 200 of whom have been staying in the park overnight, initially resisted with chants of “Whose park? Our park!” as officers began moving in and tearing down tents. The protesters rallied around an area known as the kitchen, near the middle of the park and began building barricades with tables and pieces of scrap wood.

Over the next two hours, dozens of protesters left the park, while a core group of about 100 dug in around the food area. Many locked arms and defied police orders to leave. By 3 a.m., dozens of helmet-clad officers, watched over by Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, closed in on the remaining protesters. They pulled them out one protester at a time and handcuffed them. Most were walked out without incident.

Rest from NY Times here…

Updates

  • 3:36 a.m. Kitchen tent reported teargassed. Police moving in with zip cuffs.
  • 3:33 a.m. Bulldozers moving in
  • 3:16 a.m. Occupiers linking arms around riot police
  • 3:15 a.m. NYPD destroying personal items. Occupiers prevented from leaving with their possessions.
  • 3:13 a.m. NYPD deploying sound cannon
  • 3:08 a.m. heard on livestream: “they’re bringing in the hoses.”
  • 3:05 a.m. NYPD cutting down trees in Liberty Square
  • 2:55 a.m. NYC council-member Ydanis Rodríguez arrested and bleeding from head.
  • 2:44 a.m. Defiant occupiers barricaded Liberty Square kitchen
  • 2:44 a.m. NYPD destroys OWS Library. 5,000 donated books in dumpster.
  • 2:42 a.m. Brooklyn Bridge confirmed closed
  • 2:38 a.m. 400-500 marching north to Foley Square
  • 2:32 a.m. All subways but R shut down
  • 2:29 a.m. Press helicopters evicted from airspace. NYTimes reporter arrested.
  • 2:22 a.m. Frontpage coverage from New York Times
  • 2:15 a.m. Occupiers who have been dispersed are regrouping at Foley Square
  • 2:10 a.m. Press barred from entering Liberty Square
  • 2:07 a.m. Pepper spray deployed — reports of at least one reporter sprayed
  • 2:03 a.m. Massive Police Presence at Canal and Broadway
  • 1:43 a.m. Helicopters overhead.
  • 1:38 a.m. Unconfirmed reports of snipers on rooftops.
  • 1:34 a.m. CBS News Helicopter Livestream
  • 1:27 a.m. Unconfirmed reports that police are planning to sweep everyone.
  • 1:20 a.m. Subway stops are closed.
  • 1:20 a.m. Brooklyn bridge is closed.
  • 1:20 a.m. Occupiers chanting “This is what a police state looks like.”
  • 1:20 a.m. Police are in riot gear.
  • 1:20 a.m. Police are bringing in bulldozers.

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