Police sweep ends Occupy anniv. protest

Occupy Wall Street demonstrators stand and cheer in front of the George Washington statue on Wall Street as they celebrate the protest's sixth month, Saturday, March 17, 2012, in New York. / AP Photo/John Minchillo

(AP) NEW YORK - Dozens of police officers cleared the park where the Occupy movement was born six months ago and made several arrests after hundreds of protesters returned in an anniversary observance and defiantly resisted calls to clear out.

Some demonstrators locked arms and sat down in the middle of Zuccotti Park near Wall Street after police announced on a bullhorn at around 11:30 p.m. Saturday that the park was closed. Officers then poured into the park, forcing most of the crowd out and surrounding a small group that stayed behind. Police formed a human ring around the park to keep protesters out.

Several people were arrested, police said. An unused public transit bus was brought in to cart away about a dozen demonstrators in plastic handcuffs. One female under arrest had difficulty breathing and was taken away in an ambulance to be treated.

For hours, the demonstrators had been chanting and holding impromptu meetings in the park to celebrate the anniversary of the movement that has brought attention to economic inequality, as police mainly kept their distance.

But New York Police Det. Brian Sessa said the tipping point came when the protesters started breaking the park rules.

"They set up tents. They had sleeping bags," he said. Electrical boxes also were tampered with and there was evidence of graffiti.

Sessa said Brookfield Properties, the park owner, sent in security to advise the protesters to stop pitching tents and to leave the park. The protesters, in turn, became agitated with them. The company then asked the police to help them clear out the park, the detective said.

"Most of the people, they left the park," Sessa said. "People who refused to leave and were staying were arrested."

An Occupy Wall Street demonstrator is arrested in Zuccotti Park after a march to celebrate the protest's sixth month, Saturday, March 17, 2012, in New York. A couple hundred people attended.

/ AP Photo/John Minchillo

Many protesters shouted and officers took out their batons after a demonstrator threw a glass bottle at the bus that police were using to detain protesters.

Sandra Nurse, a member of Occupy's direct action working group, said police treated demonstrators roughly and made arbitrary arrests. She disputed the police assertion that demonstrators had broken park rules by putting up tents or getting out sleeping bags.

"I didn't see any sleeping bags," she said. "There was a banner hung between two trees and a tarp thrown over it ... It wasn't a tent. It was an erect thing, if that's what you want to call it."

She said they had reports of about 25 demonstrators arrested in the police sweep.

27 Photos

Occupy protests: Month 6

Earlier in the day, with the city's attention focused on the huge St. Patrick's Day parade many blocks uptown, the Occupy rally at Zuccotti drew hundreds of people.

Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore, who had given a speech at a nearby university, also made an appearance at the park, milling around with protesters.

With the barricades that once blocked them from Wall Street now removed, the protesters streamed down the sidewalk and covered the steps of the Federal Hall National Memorial. There, steps from the New York Stock Exchange and standing at the feet of a statue of George Washington, they danced and chanted, "We are unstoppable."

Police say arrests were made, but they didn't have a full count yet.

As always, the protesters focused on a variety of concerns, but for Tom Hagan, his sights were on the giants of finance.

"Wall Street did some terrible things, especially Goldman Sachs, but all of them. Everyone from the banks to the rating agencies, they all knew they were doing wrong. ... But they did it anyway. Because the money was too big," he said.

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[porkchopman]

Most these post are a bunch bologna.The truth to the matter is both the Gov.and W.S. has taken my money.W S robbers buy their big homes and yachts ,planes ect,,Gov. robbers buy their big homes and yachts,planes,give it away to lazy assses. ect...They do this with the money i have worked hard for.These so called protesters are jokes like the 2 named robbers i mentioned.Nothing can be done about either 3.I am going on welfare and get food stamps and start stealing from W S to get some of MY money back from all them.

[countrycuz1]

CBS avoided what most of the nation likely sees as the movement's primary achievement, despite the press's attempts to minimize and cover it up: showing us what the world might very well look like if the movement's leaders and primary instigators ever got their way -- ugly, dangerous, and filthy.

[BOJOKER-Obama_]

Good for the Police and the law abiding citizens of NYC who have had to put up with these stinky pooping fleabaggers making a nuisance of themselves.
The Fleabagger movement is on it's death bed with only the worst of the worst of societies misfits still hanging around.
George Soros isn't even paying their bills anymore to distract from Obama's incompetence and failures as president.
This Soros scheme back fired and he has washed his hands of his hired goons and mobs.

[BigMamaThornton]

These OWS occupiers need to learn to protest like people did during the civil rights movement in a no violent method as Dr King advocated.

We had a real message to convey as to were these young fools are all over the place and have alienated the American people with their obnoxious and counter productive tactics.
They have squandered their opportunity and are on their way out since no one can take them seriously.
Live and learn.

[RichZubaty]

"But New York Police Det. Brian Sessa said the tipping point came when the protesters started breaking the park rules."

The Tipping Point? The Tipping Point came when Wall Street fraudulently robbed us of trillions of dollars in bailouts, then sailed merrily along doing all the same things that caused the financial meltdown in the first place. And nothing has changed!

You wanna arrest somebody? Walk up the street and arrest the people who caused the problem. This is NOT gonna stop until you do.

[erichsh]

Just curious how much you and the OWS crowd would be blaming the President too, if he was a Republican. Obama seems to get a pass from your side.

[skyk801]

bjeanthejellybean, we have suffered through THREE Decades of the WORST Economic Policy shift in our History and YOU just keep spewing out the stupid talking points. Good Grief Spuds! Look at the reality!

[notyrants]

Mortarman29_1SG March 18, 2012 9:16 AM EDT
Democracy? If they are for democracy, we should ALL oppose them. Democracy is the WORST form of government.

What about the Democrat Economic Terrorists? You arent mentioning them.

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Hitler and every Dictator/King that stifled the progress of humanity detested democracy as well.

[rightbehind]

The police are nothing more than thugs for the wealthy. We need to start reducing their ranks. I'm in favor of reducing big local government!

[Thissalantine]

Blah Blah Blah partisan blah blah blathering blah blah blah. That's all I hear when people use partisan buzzwords like 'kumbayah' and 'patriots'. Get over yourselves people these folks have the same right to protest as did the tea party people. And those of us moderates who think all the partisan hate is counterproductive and a 'political basket of chicken' (that's left wing, right wing, and 'tailfeathers') just want you to **** if you can't get to being productive before you drag this country into civil war with your anger.

[notyrants]

In the old world European kingdoms and Nazi Germany, there weren't equal rights under the law. The boomer generation has left a nation in a deep state of regression.

[Thissalantine]

Blah Blah Blah partisan blah blah blathering blah blah blah. That's all I hear when people use partisan buzzwords like 'kumbayah' and 'patriots'. Get over yourselves people these folks have the same right to protest as did the tea party people. And those of us moderates who think all the partisan hate is counterproductive and a 'political basket of chicken' (that's left wing, right wing, and 'tailfeathers') just want you to **** if you can't get to being productive before you drag this country into civil war with your anger.

[bjeanthejellybean]

At the rate this group spent the money that was donated to them on things that bordered on the ridiculous I'm surprised they even have $119,000 left in their accounts. There is absolutely no focus on anything in OWS which is the major reason they have made no impact. Their continued efforts to compare this country with their "comrades" in Syria, Tunisia and Egypt (among others) has only managed to make them look delusional.

[notyrants]

Are you a Fox Friends right wing fascist that concerns yourself with trivial things while massive fraud has occurred in a nation that faces absolute non-support by its citizens as they steadily learn what a crime scene and big lie the United States is period.