Occupy, cops clash on ‘Day of Action’
A few violent clashes interrupted a day of mostly peaceful marches, as Occupy Wall Street took their message to different corners of the city Thursday.
The occupiers’ “Day of Action” arrived two days after they were cleared from Zuccotti Park in a surprise 1 a.m. raid by police earlier this week.
The worst clashes were in the morning near Wall Street, where OWS hoped to delay the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange. Because of an impenetrable police ring around Wall Street, however, the Stock Exchange opened as scheduled.
Protesters were pushed back by officers at Wall Street, taking refuge in Zuccotti Park before continuing on to Union Square, as well as Foley Square near City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge.
The most violent police-protester encounter happened after noon in Zuccotti Park, where protester Brendan Watts suffered a cut on his head after a fight reportedly broke out between demonstrators and the police.
Although mostly peaceful, the protests were filled with tense moments, such as when irate demonstrators yelled “Shame!” at officers blocking them from Wall Street.
The protest grew during the day, from a few hundred at Zuccotti Park to several thousand at night in Foley Square.
Police injured
Seven New York City police officers were injured in clashes with protesters, according to the NYPD.
Spokesman Paul Browne said some of the protesters were throwing an unknown substance, possibly vinegar, in police officers’ faces.
The worst injury occurred at Broadway and Liberty Street, where an officer received a laceration to his hand after a protester threw a star-shaped object at him, Browne said. The officer required 20 stitches to his left hand.
Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @AlisonatMetro.
