Protesters mull next move after New York raid
Source: Agencies |
November 17, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE Occupy Wall Street encampment is gone, but the movement lives on. What nobody knows is just how long it can survive without a place to call home after police hauled away demonstrators in a late-night raid.
New York's Zuccotti Park, the privately owned park where protesters against the excesses of capitalism had been camped out since mid-September, was a rallying point - a symbol of defiance against a system the protesters want to overthrow.
But in recent weeks, the park unwittingly morphed into a version of the world it was trying to change - a microcosm of society rife with crime, drug problems and fights over things such as real estate and access to medical care.
Some organizers believe the loss of their camp early on Tuesday is actually a blessing in disguise.
"This is much bigger than a square plaza in downtown Manhattan," said Hans Shan, an organizer who was working with churches to find places for protesters to sleep on Tuesday night. "You cannot evict an idea whose time has come."
The protesters had vowed to stay indefinitely. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the sweep because health and safety conditions had become "intolerable" in the crowded plaza.
The raid was conducted in the middle of the night "to reduce the risk of confrontation" and "minimize disruption to the surrounding neighborhood," he said.
By early Tuesday evening, some protesters were being allowed back into the park two by two. But they could each take only a small bag after a judge ruled on Tuesday afternoon that their free speech rights do not extend to pitching a tent and setting up camp for months at a time.
Pete Dutro, head of the group's finances, said the loss of the movement's original encampment will open up a dialogue with other cities and take the protest to the next level of action.
"We all knew this was coming," Dutro said. "Now it is time for us not to be tucked away in Zuccotti Park and have different areas of occupation throughout the city."
Where will they go next remains unclear.
New York's Zuccotti Park, the privately owned park where protesters against the excesses of capitalism had been camped out since mid-September, was a rallying point - a symbol of defiance against a system the protesters want to overthrow.
But in recent weeks, the park unwittingly morphed into a version of the world it was trying to change - a microcosm of society rife with crime, drug problems and fights over things such as real estate and access to medical care.
Some organizers believe the loss of their camp early on Tuesday is actually a blessing in disguise.
"This is much bigger than a square plaza in downtown Manhattan," said Hans Shan, an organizer who was working with churches to find places for protesters to sleep on Tuesday night. "You cannot evict an idea whose time has come."
The protesters had vowed to stay indefinitely. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the sweep because health and safety conditions had become "intolerable" in the crowded plaza.
The raid was conducted in the middle of the night "to reduce the risk of confrontation" and "minimize disruption to the surrounding neighborhood," he said.
By early Tuesday evening, some protesters were being allowed back into the park two by two. But they could each take only a small bag after a judge ruled on Tuesday afternoon that their free speech rights do not extend to pitching a tent and setting up camp for months at a time.
Pete Dutro, head of the group's finances, said the loss of the movement's original encampment will open up a dialogue with other cities and take the protest to the next level of action.
"We all knew this was coming," Dutro said. "Now it is time for us not to be tucked away in Zuccotti Park and have different areas of occupation throughout the city."
Where will they go next remains unclear.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
