To the Occupy Wall Street protesters, today’s postponement of their scheduled eviction from Zuccotti Park was a landmark victory for the “99%” movement.
Though the celebrations would later end in violence and bloodshed near City Hall — reports say both the NYPD and OWS protesters were involved in escalating the fights — this morning, the protesters were simply full of joy.
Photographer Nathan Fitch was in Zuccotti Park, capturing the scene:
Around 5:30 am the crowd of protestors at Zuccotti Park swelled until
most of the square was packed with human bodies. Upon learning that the
cleaning would be postponed, the crowd erupted into happy applause and
chanting.
Protesters at Occupy Wall Street listen intently to an address being delivered. Many people had been in Zuccotti park all night in display of solidarity and to try to avoid having the group evicted.
A protester at Zuccotti Square laughs in relief when she learns the news that the impending eviction of the group has been postponed.
Several members of Occupy Wall Street relay a message using the human microphone, a system that the group has devised to get around a ban on amplified sound.
Only a few minutes after the group had discussed the possibility of arrest the news arrive that they were going to be allowed to continue their occupation. Excitement ran high and some protesters decided to do a march to celebrate this news.
A protestor with the 99% slogans scrawled on her cheeks cheered joyously at the news.
New York City Council member Ydanis Rodrigues makes an appearance at Occupy Wall Street. The councilman gave a short speech to express his support for the movement and the concerns of the people.
Rodrigues’ “I AM the 99%” button.
One protester clutches glow sticks and flashes a peace sign for all to see.
A protester at Zuccotti Square expresses his feelings by sealing his lips with tape.
Protesters flourish a broom and flag bearing the symbols of peace, to express their cause.
People working in offices surrounding Zuccotti Park look down at the mass of people demonstrating below in the misty Manhattan morning.
Members of the NYPD were stationed around Zuccotti Square but did not enter it after the order came to postpone their original plan of moving out the protestors to give the park a cleaning.
One protester’s American flag bandana.
One demonstrator displays a hand made sign that he had made. Many Occupy Wall Street protesters looked took postponement of the park cleaning as a victory.
Buckets of soap and water left over from Thursday’s cleaning effort by the members of Occupy Wall Street to avoid being forced to leave Zuccotti Park.
