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Settlement Announced In Lawsuit Over Seizure Of OWS Library

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A settlement was announced Tuesday in a lawsuit over the seizure of the Occupy Wall Street library at Zuccotti Park.

The City of New York and Brookfield Properties have agreed to pay more than $230,000 to settle the lawsuit filed last year in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

The books were taken in 2011 when police raided the park where protesters had gathered for several months to protest income inequality. The park had been set up with a village that had tents, a library, kitchen, work groups and a medical station.

At the time of the raid, Brookfield Properties, which owns the park, said it wanted the park cleared because it "had become dangerous, unhealthy and unsafe."

Protesters were allowed to return to Zuccotti afterward, but without their sleeping bags, tarps and tents.

Siegel says the settlement, announced Tuesday, calls for the city to pay $47,000 for the loss of books and $186,000 in legal fees. About $16,000 will come from Brookfield.

A city Law Department spokeswoman released a statement saying that "sometimes cases are settled to avoid drawn-out litigation that bolsters plaintiff attorney fees."

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