NYPD officers clear out remaining Occupy City Hall protesters
A line of NYPD officers in riot gear cleared out the remaining Occupy City Hall protesters from their month-long encampment early Wednesday, police confirmed.
The officers began pushing the remaining occupants north on Centre Street toward Foley Square around 3:40 a.m.
About 70 people, including both protesters and the homeless, were camped out when the NYPD contingent moved through, WABC-TV reported.
Seven people were taken into custody, and they were not immediately charged Wednesday morning. One person threw a brick at an officer, who was not injured, but there were no other “significant incidents,” Chief Raymond Spinella said during a morning press conference.
Spinella said that several hundred officers were involved in the operation, “which went smoothly.” He added that police gave a warning of at least 10 minutes before moving in to clear the park.
“The police department has closely monitored the situation at the park since its inception,” Spinella said. “We have worked closely with the Parks Department and other city agencies, and City Hall has been deeply involved in the process. We felt the time had come to end occupation and allow cleanup crews to begin the proper process of removing the graffiti.”
The department decided Wednesday morning “was a good time” to disperse protesters “based on the number of people that were in the park, and for the safety of our officers and the safety for everyone involved,” according to Spinella.
Video shows the moment the officers approached, as they chanted, “Move back!”
Another clip tweeted later shows officers arresting a person screaming on the ground as a line of cops block protesters from intervening.
In another, several cops arrest a man on the ground as a woman can be heard pleading, “Can you get off of him? He’s not resisting!”
The goal of the Occupy City Hall protest, which started last month, was to demand $1 billion in cuts to the NYPD’s budget.
The encampment remained for weeks after the City Council approved cuts.
The eviction happened a day after Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to provide a timeline on when anti-cop graffiti would be removed from the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building.
He also said the decision to remove the encampment “will be made by the NYPD as things emerge. We’re looking at the situation every day.”
“There is a balance we always strike between the right to protest and especially public safety and I’ve always put public safety first while respecting constitutional rights,” Hizzoner said.