This event is part of the River to River Festival

15-min. performances simultaneously at three locations:

Brookfield Place Plaza, One New York Plaza, Zuccotti Park

Arts Brookfield celebrates Make Music New York 2013 with an afternoon honoring the jazz saxophone. Some of the hippest voices of NYC’s jazz scene shine over three 15-minute solo sets at three different Downtown locations. Bring a lunch, join the musical journey and experience a unique adventure that could only happen in New York City.

Event Date: June 21

Time: 12 p.m., 12:30 p.m. & 1 p.m.

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The five protesters who filed the suit, which also names Mayor Michael Bloomberg, seek $1,000 in punitive damages and $47,000 in damages for the books and materials that were removed and destroyed during the November 15 eviction of Zuccotti Park. Six computers and some metal shelves were also damaged, according to Norman Siegel, an attorney for OWS. Siegel said he and his clients came up with that figure by using the website Amazon to determine the average cost of a book and multiplying it by the number of OWS’s damaged or missing books.

“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Siegel told Metro when asked about the protesters’ chance of winning the suit. “We hope to hold the Bloomberg administration accountable for the violation of OWS rights that occurred during the eviction of Zuccotti Park.”

 After the books were
confiscated, they were taken to the Sanitation Department. Protesters
were invited to retrieve them, but many complained that hundreds of books were
missing and others were damaged.

The lawsuit also seeks to uncover the details surrounding the NYPD’s
plan to raid Zuccotti Park and evict protestors.

“The raid struck not only at Constitutional rights but at a fundamental tool of enlightenment – thousands of library books and materials were destroyed,” members of the OWS press team said in a statement.

“Although they had the power to conduct raid, this lawsuit raises the issue of whether they had the right to conduct it in the manner they did,” Siegel said about the NYPD and the Bloomberg administration.

The post Occupy Wall Street files federal law suit against city over the ‘People’s Library’ appeared first on Metro.us.

A group of about 30 protesters entered the park last night after a march from Union Square. Some of them brought sleeping bags, which are prohibited in the park. Eight people were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, according to the NYPD.

Today, occupiers are rallying corporations involved with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in a protest that spans 70 cities nationwide. The national day of action is a call against legislation that benefits corporations rather than average Americans.

This morning, author and journalist Matt Taibbi joined occupiers for a teach-in at Bryant Park. Protesters are marching from Bryant Park at noon with “creative actions” targeting Bank of America, Pfizer, and Koch Brothers.

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Protesters were forced from the park by the NYPD in the early morning hours of November 15. After the eviction, the park was reopened to the public, but still surrounded by police barricades. Those barricades were recently removed, though, prompting protesters to change their minds about pursuing the law suit, according to Alan Levine, a lawyer for the movement.

Brookfiled Properties, the company that owns Zuccotti Park, maintained that its rules prohibit camping or sleeping and the use of tents and sleeping bags. The company’s attorneys also claimed the generators, wooden pallets and other electronics brought into the park by protestors presented hazardous conditions. The protestors request for an injunction against the city immediately after the raid was initially denied by State Supreme Court Justice Michael Stallman.

Jennifer Waller, a protester, was the named plaintiff in the suit, which was dropped Friday.  Levine said protesters no longer seem interested in returning to Zuccoti Park.

“Nobody seems to care about that anymore,” he said to Reuters. “We’re not about to try to litigate that issue in the abstract. I suspect it will recur as an issue, and when it does, we’ll be prepared to litigate it.”

City attorney Sheryl Neufeld responded to the decision to drop the suit, saying, “We think the plaintiff made the right move in withdrawing her case, as it has no merit.”

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“We’re liberated!” Bronx receptionist and OWS member Carol Browne, 49, said yesterday.
“It’s so much better without the barricades. This will rejuvenate the movement.”

The barricades were removed after the New York Civil Liberties Union and other groups sent a letter to the city’s building commissioner on Monday, arguing that the illegal barricades restricted the public’s access to the park and violated city zoning laws.

“We knew this day would come,” said Rich Sanaria, 38, another OWS member from the Bronx.
Most of the barricades were erected after the NYPD’s Nov. 15 raid, which cleared out the area at the behest of Brookfield Properties, the park’s owner.

“What they were doing was illegal,” Sanaria said of the NYPD. “They’re making up rules as they go along.”

More than 100 OWS members rushed to Zuccotti on Tuesday night to celebrate, but the park still has significantly fewer protesters now than it did prior to Nov. 15, when it was equipped for long-term, overnight stay. The number of protesters fluctuated throughout the day yesterday, from just a dozen in the morning to nearly 30 in the afternoon.

Arrests at park continue

Movement inside the park remains tightly restricted by Brookfield’s private security guards.
   
Protesters are still not allowed to sleep in the park, per Brookfield’s rules, and three protesters were arrested Tuesday night after they tried to lie down on park benches.
  
“Some people tried to lay down to see what would happen,” said protester Rich Sanaria. “Hundreds of officers surrounded us and three people were arrested.”
   
One OWS member was even reprimanded for handing out donuts yesterday morning, as private security guards told them people cannot distribute food in the park.

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro

The post Zuccotti Park: Free at last? appeared first on Metro.us.

About a hundred protesters reportedly entered the park in an effort to reclaim the original site of the movement. Three protesters were arrested on charges including trespass, resisting arrest and obstructing government administration, according to the NYPD.

The OccupyWallStNYC Twitter account posted a photo late last night, with the comment, “nypd just made arrests in #LibertySquare for laying down.”

By Wednesday morning, only about ten protesters remained in the park.

Zuccotti Park has been surrounded by barricades and under watch by security guards since protesters were evicted by the NYPD in the early morning hours of November 15. Protesters continued meeting daily at cafes, the Atrium at 60 Wall Street or borrowed office space.
 

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At a recent meeting, protesters debated what to do with the money, down from $706,855 at the movement’s peak, according to the New York Post. Much of that $700K came via online donations from OWS supporters and has already been spent on food and supplies.

The remaining OWS members meet daily at the atrium at 60 Wall Street. During one such meeting, the Post reported, one of the ideas pitched included burning the cash in a bonfire on Wall Street, a suggestion that has since  been dropped.

About two dozen protesters met at the atrium yesterday. There, Yuri P., a wireworker who came all the way from Siberia to join OWS, said he wants to organize a fundraiser, perhaps a crafts fair, to ensure occupiers are self-sustaining.

“The general fund should be used for things like housing and major obstacles, like getting us out of jail,” he said.

Protester Par’jila Kote, 19, thinks the money should be spent on a van circling the boroughs to tell people about Occupy, or a new place to set up tents.

“We need to find a new spot to permanently occupy,” he said.

But Kote also said the movement is “falling apart,” with occupiers scattered. “Nothing ever gets done,” he complained.

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @AlisonatMetro

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“There’s a lot of talk about numerous things going in different directions,” said Shane Patrick, 32, a member of OWS from Queens who works in press relations for the movement. “There are a lot of people working toward occupying another space.”

Many displaced campers are staying at local churches. Protesters still hold  regularly scheduled meetings, including the 7 p.m. general assemblies, but the number of attendees is no longer in the thousands, Patrick said.

Dec. 6 has been selected as a second “Day of Action” to replicate the crowds of people that turned out on Nov. 17 for marches through the Financial District and across the Brooklyn Bridge. Protesters have said they will stage sit-ins at foreclosed properties throughout the city.

“What occurred on the 17th, such as disrupting the opening bell on Wall Street or protesting outside the homes of the wealthy, that will continue,” Patrick said.

Some OWS members admit their numbers have dwindled since the NYPD raided the camp.

“I think everyone’s going underground until spring,” said Christopher Geist, 38. “Zuccotti is gone; it was our sanctuary. I’ve seen people fading.”

But protester Matt Sky, 27, said the movement is just entering a transitional phase. “I think we’re seeing a much stronger global presence of the ideas that started here,” Sky said.

Burned on books

Occupiers say they lost thousands of books when the city kicked them out of Zuccotti Park nearly two weeks ago. Police trashed roughly 4,000 books and other documents, according to William Scott, a member of the Occupy Wall Street people’s library.

Occupy Wall Street protesters said they have retrieved 1,099 books that belonged to the library from the police, of which only 800 are usable. Protesters say they are still looking for about 2,900 books. Less than one-fifth of the original collection is still usable, they estimate. 

Mo’ money?

The last reported amount of Occupy Wall Street’s general assembly donations left the number at around half a million dollars.
   
Protesters said the money would be distributed through consensus at the general assembly, as always. Even though Zuccotti is gone, they said, there’s still work to be done.

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro.

The post What’s next for the Occupy Wall Street movement? appeared first on Metro.us.

A representative from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office released a photo later that day of some of the books, saying protesters could retrieve them from the Department of Sanitation. Occupy Wall Street, though, is now saying most of the books are still unaccounted for and the ones that have been recovered, are damaged and unusable.

Occupy Wall Street hosted a press conference today to address Mayor Bloomberg over the fact that less than a fifth of the people’s library is usable, protesters say. Speakers included representatives from the National Lawyers Guild, law professors and members of the American Library Association.

“The people’s library was destroyed by NYPD acting on the authority of Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the night of the raid,” said William Scott, a protesters who identifies himself as an Occupy Wall Street librarian. “In addition to all our supplies, laptops, and tent, they threw roughly 4,000 books into garbage trucks and dumpsters that were adjacent to the park, as well as assorted rare documents that were associated with OWS.”

Occupy Wall Street said protesters are still waiting for the Department of Sanitation to hand over about 2,900 books and documents. Only 1,099 have been retrieved, according to OWS, and some of them were not library books to begin with. Protesters say only about 800 of those books can still be used.

An email request for a response from Mayor Bloomberg’s office was not immediately answered.

Here’s video of the NYPD clearing out the people’s library during the November 15 clean-up of Zuccotti Park.

The post Occupy Wall Street says NYPD destroyed 4,000 books appeared first on Metro.us.

“On the 17th, mark my words, we’re going to burn this city down,” said Nkrumah Tinsley, 29.

Protester Eli Moses said Tuesday’s midnight police raid on the park only “invigorated” the movement.

“Anyone who was in that raid is going to be more angry than scared,” said Moses, 22. “We have to get more intense if we want anything to change. There are a lot of things that are going to happen tomorrow.”

Occupy Wall Street protesters are planning a litany of events meant to disrupt New York City in commemoration of the group’s two-month anniversary.

As several hundred protesters entered the park after sunset, they cried and hugged in celebration.

They were searched by police before entering, to make sure they didn’t bring in sleeping bags, tarps or tents, all items that are now contraband in the private park.

But many of the protesters vowed that even without their gear, they’re staying put at Zuccotti, no matter how cold it gets.

“It’s really good to be home,” said J.A. Myerson, 25, who is looking forward to Thursday. “A lot of people are willing to throw their bodies into the streets for this movement.”

What to expect
   
7 a.m. Shut Down Wall Street: Protesters will meet in the park, before the opening of the Stock Exchange. “Tomorrow the opening bell will be shut down,” said Eli Conrad, 23.
   
3 p.m. Occupy the subways: Protesters will gather at 16 central subway hubs throughout the city.
   
5 p.m. Foley Square: Protesters say thousands will gather at Foley Square and will then march across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Salvaged books are up for grabs

Books seized from Zuccotti Park during the massive crackdown yesterday will be available for pickup today.

The “Occupy Wall Street Library” first started when college students who joined the movement wanted to designate a secure space for their textbooks. It quickly grew to include thousands of donated books as supporters spread the story via social media.

Julie Wood, a spokeswoman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office, said via Twitter that the confiscated books are safely stored at the 57th Street Sanitation Garage. Anyone can go there to claim them today. 

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro.

The post Occupy Wall Street vows vengeance after Zuccotti raid appeared first on Metro.us.

Earlier in the morning, attorneys with the National Lawyers Guild went to the park with a court order telling the city to let the protesters return, but officers and barriers remained at the park’s perimeter, prohibiting anyone from entering. Attorneys for the movement are in court again this afternoon to decide whether the protesters’ right to demonstrate should include use of tents and tarps in the park

As hundreds of protesters chanted, “You are breaking the law,” some of them began pulling police barriers apart, as officers wrestled with them to keep them in place. At least one person was arrested.

The crowd continued to march and chant around Zuccotti Park, many protesters hopping the first line of police barriers, trying to inch their way into the park. The mood at the scene was tense as many protesters became agitated with
police, yelling and accusing officers of breaking the law.

At one point, a group of officers with fistfuls of zip-tie handcuffs flooded the now-vacant park.

One protester, Lily, said the decision to evict occupiers from Zuccotti Park will only make things “worse for Thursday.”

“The plan right now is to go down onto Wall Street on Thursday and some people are planning to disrupt the proceedings down there,” said Lily, who did not want to give her last name.

She would not go into further detail about Occupy Wall Street’s planned day of action, though the movement’s website indicates protesters are planning to march to the New York Stock Exchange.

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The two made it official Sunday morning, just six weeks after they first met.

According to the New York Daily News, Emery Abdel-Latif, 24, of Westchester County, PA married his sweetheart Micha Balon, 19, of Staten Island in a traditional Muslim ceremony.

NYU Islamic Center Chaplain Khalid Latif officiated the ceremony.

Abdel Latif, who was living with his parents and applying to law schools before making Zuccotti Park his home told the Daily News that he didn’t come to Lower Manhattan in order to find love.

“Neither of us believed in love before we came here, and now that we found each other, we believe it exists,” he told the Daily News.

Abdel Latif’s wife, Balon, is an undergraduate in Middle East studies at Hunter College.

The couple, who up until now stayed in separate tents, did not know whether they will move in to the same tent now that they’re married. Regardless, the couple told the Daily News that plan on staying at the protest throughout the winter.

While we might think getting married after only six weeks is a little hasty (hello, did Kim Kardashian teach us nothing?) we wish these two love birds all the best. 

The post Occupy Wall Street protesters find love, get married at Zuccotti Park appeared first on Metro.us.

Fort Greene photographer Andrew Piccone’s show “Faces of Occupy Wall Street” opens at the Frontrunner gallery in TriBeCa tonight.

The portraits of some 26 protesters will be sold for $200 a print, but Piccone, 24, said he hasn’t spoken to a single one of his subjects.

“I didn’t interact with them or tell them what I was going to do with the photos,” Piccone said. “I liked my role as a voyeur.”

Some Occupiers say they feel violated. Eric Cartar, 30, from New Orleans, called Piccone’s exhibit “disingenuous.”

“All the energy in this park is against being commodified,” said Carter. “He’s just missing the point.”

Protesters told Metro that they understand they are occupying a public park, but wish Piccone would have been more transparent about his intentions.

“It’s his first amendment right” Camille Raneem, 21, a Hunter student, said. “I don’t think it’s morally right.”

Raneem said she’s been photographed hundreds of times since the occupation began and finds the barrage of cameras “harassing.”

“They photograph you while you’re waking up,” she said. “You feel like an animal in a zoo.”

Piccone’s say

Piccone says that he doesn’t identify with the Occupy protesters.
   
“I would not consider myself a participant in the protest,” he said to Metro. “There are certain things I agree with, and certain things I might not.”
   
“Faces of Occupy Wall Street” is the budding photographer’s first show.
   
When told of protesters’ fury over his exhibit, Piccone said he now plans to donate “a portion of the profits” to the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro.

The post Hawking Occupy Wall Street images appeared first on Metro.us.

Some discussed the idea of issuing identification cards for protesters to better establish who belongs in the camp — and who doesn’t.

“I am concerned about other people’s safety here,” a man told the group yesterday afternoon.

A woman suggested checkpoints like those she saw at Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where volunteers posted at the perimeter asked everyone entering a few questions, such as why they came.

Keeping a list of repeat offenders would allow protest security to say, “We don’t want you here,” demonstrator Priciano Pierre said.

Following reports of sexual assault, the camp erected a tent solely for women on Friday. Last week, protester Tonye Iketubosin, a 26-year-old kitchen volunteer, was arrested for sexually assaulting a woman, joining a list of others arrested since the protest began Sept. 17.

Alysa Boone, 17, traveled from Pennsylvania with her mother, and slept in the women’s tent Saturday night. “I felt safe,” she said. Someone was always outside monitoring the tent, she said.

Emily Rappaport, 21, heard about crime before she arrived, but was not dissuaded. “It made me nervous,” she said, but bunked with two guy pals.

Arrests timeline

Crimes in Zuccotti Park, from the NYPD:
   
Oct. 11:  Cops arrested Connecticut resident David Park, 27, and charged him with sexual abuse. Officials said he was also facing outstanding warrants for open containers. “He’s occupying Rikers now,” police spokesman Paul Browne said.
   
Oct. 22: Officers arrested Garfield Leslie, 19, a Brooklyn resident, and charged him with trying to sell drugs. Cops said Leslie punched a woman who refused the drug offer, as well as a man who tried to help. He was charged with assault.

Oct. 28: Cops said Dustin Taylor, 34, an Ohio resident, threatened a television reporter with a ballpoint pen while threatening to “stab you in the f—ing throat” and ripping the microphone out of the reporter’s hand. He was charged with menacing.
   
Nov. 3: Cops arrested Christopher Geiset, 38, and charged him with assault after they said he punched another protester.

The post Occupiers work to fix Zuccotti Park security appeared first on Metro.us.

Last week, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, State Senator Daniel Squadron and Councilwoman Margaret Chin sent a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, pleading with him to enforce laws against public urination and excessive noise from drumming.

Today, the four politicians said Occupy Wall Street installed three portable bathrooms on a loading dock area connected to 52 Broadway. A trained security guard will be on duty there 24-hours a day.

“We are pleased that, on the heels of the city responding to our calls to remove excessive barricades, there has been significant progress on one of the other pressing quality-of-life issues: improved bathroom access,” the four lawmakers said in a joint statement.

They once again called on the city to enforce laws prohibiting public urination and excessive noise. They also reiterated their support for the protester’s First Amendment rights.

“The fact that both the city and OWS are making progress in addressing serious quality-of-life issues signals that there is a path for solving these and other emerging concerns,” the lawmakers said. “We strongly encourage the parties to continue to communicate and we ask that the park remain open and accessible for emergency personnel.” 

The OWS PR team confirmed via email to Metro that the portable restrooms are installed a few blocks from Zuccotti Park in “well-lit, safe location.”

Follow Cassandra Garrison on Twitter @CassieAtMetro

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Andrew Smith, an OWS overnight community watch member, said in written statement, “Bloomberg lied yesterday when he claimed that a sexual assault suspect was merely kicked out of the park, when in fact OWS security personnel forcibly removed the individual and handed him directly to the NYPD,”

The statement was in response to comments Bloomberg made yesterday when addressing reporters about Occupy Wall Street.

“Instead of calling the police, they form a circle around the perpetrator, chastise him or her and chase (them) out into the rest of the city — to do who knows what to who knows whom,” the mayor said.

Protesters say participants understand that there is no substitute for the police when it comes to criminal activity that threatens the community or local residents. Protesters admit there are sometimes issues inside Zuccotti Park, but OWS volunteer Bill Dobbs says they are often resolved internally.

“We have systems and our own common sense to deal with those problems,” Dobbs said.
 
Dobbs said the real issue is that  Bloomberg is “demonizing participants” instead of supporting their civic participation.

“Mayor Bloomberg is pandering to fear,” Dobbs said. “What we’re seeing is a lot of effort to undermine and suppress the movement and divert from the damage the mayor and his billionaire friends are doing to the country.”

 

The post Occupy Wall Street to Mayor Bloomberg: Get your facts straight appeared first on Metro.us.

“As long as there’s fire in people’s bellies, they’ll stay warm,” said protester Evangelina Jimenez, 33, of Portland, Ore, who was bundled up in two sweaters, three shirts, a jacket and two pairs of jeans.

“The last couple of days were pretty rough,” admitted Miami native Lily Casteanedo, 22. “But it’s not going to stop us.”

Not all protesters share that conviction: A few have fled Zuccotti Park for the winter, according to Jimenez. About one in five protesters packed up and left this weekend to avoid the snow and ice, reports claim.

Protester Michaela Weber, 18, has been camped out for three weeks, but says she doesn’t know how much longer she can take it.

“I’m from Florida and I’m already sick and have an ear infection,” Weber said. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay through the winter.”

Without generators, protesters are using metallic “space blankets,” hand warmers and layers of clothing to shield them from the weather.

Others use plain old body heat.

“I’m staying here with my girlfriend, so we use body heat to stay warm,” said protester Nelson Cespedes, 18, of Washington Heights. “I almost went into hypothermic shock, but I’m going to stay as long as my body will allow it.”

Pedal power skirts crackdown

The FDNY confiscated fuel-powered generators from the OWS camp on Friday, saying they were a fire hazard. But one generator passed muster — one with wheels.

“We’re powering batteries with the bike,” said Brooklynite Keegan Stephan. “This is the one generator they can’t take.”

The batteries are used to power computers and small electronics, said Steven Ma, 27, a bike mechanic from Brooklyn. Each battery holds 100 volts of electricity, but four hours of biking yields only 25 volts, he said.

“We would need 10 people to power a hair dryer,” said Ma.

More on Occupy Wall Street

Protesters take measures to deal with homeless in Zuccotti Park

OWS demands free subway rides for the jobless

Protesters march in solidarity with Occupy Oakland

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro.

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“Homeless people appear here because they’re hungry,” protester Barbara Ross, 48, said.

To curb their appetites, protesters are considering shutting down the cafeteria-style food distribution and only giving out food to active protesters, said Ross.

“There have been plans to have food delivered to the working groups,” Ross said.

“We’re asking them to join many of the working groups, or directing them to a food pantry,”?she said of the homeless.

The overworked kitchen volunteers are serving an estimated 1,200 people a day, spokesperson Patrick Bruner said, and they just can’t take it anymore. “The kitchen team became worried they wouldn’t be able to continue to feed everyone,” he said.

The once-gourmet menu will be nothing but cold fare for the next three days while the kitchen crew reorganizes, Bruner said.

Security has also been working hard to keep the protests peaceful, Ross said.

“The bad behavior is coming from that southwest corner,” Ross said, referring to where homeless people congregate. “They’re not following the guidelines set up by the general assembly for being nonviolent in the park.”

On Wednesday night, 10 people were arrested in a solidarity march with Occupy Oakland because police said they trashed a Tribeca street.

The cops have become so fed up with protesters that the NYPD’s Sergeants’ Benevolent Association is ready to sue if cops are injured by the demonstrators.

Ed Mullins, president of the SBA, told the New York Post that more than 20 police officers have been injured at OWS protests.

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro.

The post Occupy Wall Street protesters take measures to deal with homeless appeared first on Metro.us.

A man was arrested after the woman told police he assaulted her and her friends on Oct. 11 inside the park. Cops say the man’s friends then “threatened to kill” the woman on Monday for having filed the complaint.

Meanwhile, a group called Parents for Occupy Wall Street announced yesterday they will begin patrolling the park wearing bright lime green T-shirts. The group will walk through Zuccotti Park four times a day to address noise and sanitation complaints.

And the Manhattan district attorney’s office might dismiss charges against about half of the 700 people arrested Oct. 1 on the Brooklyn Bridge. The deal would require protesters not to be
rearrested within six months. 

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @AlisonatMetro.

The post Police: Protesters harassed at Zuccotti appeared first on Metro.us.

Occupy Wall Street’s New York encampment has amassed nearly half a million dollars — $480,000 — since they first started, according to Brooklynite Pete Dutro, 36, of the organization’s finance committee.

But New York protesters haven’t shared one cent with other Occupy camps set up across the nation.

“We could definitely use [New York’s funds],” Vernon Johnson, a volunteer at Occupy Philly, said yesterday. “What’s the point of collecting money if you’re not releasing it to the people you’re trying to help?”

“We need money bad,” agreed fellow Philadelphia protester Kate Corbett. Occupy Philly has raised $10,000.

Most of New York’s money comes from individual donors, who give an average of $50 each, Dutro surmised. So far, the Wall Street camp has spent about $66,000 of that money on computers, credit card processing fees, food and medical supplies, he said.

“Most of the money is still in the bank,” said Wylie Stecklow, 40, the finance group’s attorney.
And even though OWS has quite a coffer, some protesters gripe that it’s not trickling down fast enough.

Last week, when drums were damaged and stolen from the drum circle, the New York General Assembly voted not to spend money to replace them.

“We’ve been an important part of this movement,” said frustrated drummer John Eustor, 46, of Asbury Park, N.J. “I’m done with the meetings. We’ve just stopped giving them our donations.”

—with Alexandra Wigglesworth

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro for in-depth coverage of Occupy Wall Street.

The post Is Occupy Wall Street the top 1 percent? appeared first on Metro.us.

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told Occupy Wall Street protesters that after the park is power-washed and scrubbed down Friday morning at 7 a.m., sleeping bags, coolers and other gear will not be allowed back into the park.

Zuccotti Park owners, Brookfield Properties, papered the park with the new rules Thursday. But protesters say they will prevent cops and cleaners alike from stepping foot in the park by creating a human shield around its perimeter starting at 6 a.m. Friday.

“We’ve already decided that they’re not going to come in here,” said Stacey Hessler, 38, a protester from Florida. “We’re going to lock arms and not let them in.”

Deputy NYPD Commissioner Paul Browne said that if protesters defy Brookfield’s new regulations, they could be arrested for trespassing or disorderly conduct.

“They literally said we can’t occupy,” said Diego Ibanez, 22, a community organizer from Utah. “If they come, we’re going to resist. Those who are OK with being arrested will stay here. Those who won’t, will be witnesses.”

Protesters frantically cleaned the park on Thursday afternoon, hoping that their last-minute cleanup will prevent Brookfield’s private cleaning staff from coming in.

On Friday morning, more than 3,000 people gathered at the park to stand in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, and it worked.

Brookfield called it off moments before the scheduled cleaning.

“Late last night, we received notice from the owners of Zuccotti Park – Brookfield Properties – that they are postponing their scheduled cleaning of the park and for the time being withdrawing their request from earlier in the week for police assistance,” said Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway on Friday morning. “Brookfield believes they can work out an arrangement with the protesters.”

Weather woes

Protesters say they’ll fight Bloomberg to stay at the park, but admit they may lose to Mother Nature.
   
“The weather, besides the constant harassment from the city and NYPD, is our biggest enemy,” said Matt Erickson, 27, a carpenter from Iowa.
   
The cold temperatures and constant drizzle the last few days have made several protesters pick up and leave.

“People woke up this morning shaking and freezing,” said Spirit Fox, 18, a student from New York.
   
Dry clothing has become a precious commodity and they are seeking more donations.

More on Occupy Wall Street:

NYPD scooter runs over protester’s leg

Photos of Occupy Wall Street celebrating the cleanup postponement

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro.

 

The post [UPDATE] Occupy Wall Street: Sunrise showdown in Zuccotti Park; cleanup called off appeared first on Metro.us.

The video shows the mayor walking into the camp after dark, surrounded by his own security and protesters flashing cameras and asking questions.

Angry chants of “Billionaire Bloomberg Go to Hell!” and “You Are 1%!” can be heard, however, some protesters welcomed him and treated him with diplomacy.

One protester greets him by saying, “We love Michael Bloomberg!”

Another can be heard saying, “We’re going to provide extra security for you, sir.”

Bloomberg responds, “We’ve got plenty of security, thanks.”

The mayor went on to lay out his case for evacuating the park: “You have a right to protest and other people have a right to come through here as well. We’re going to try to balance… people that own the property, Brookfield, they have some rights, too, and we’re going to find a balance. People have a right in New York City to say what they want to say, and they have a right to not say what they don’t want to say.”

When asked what he thinks of what they’re saying, Bloomberg replied, “Everybody’s got different opinions.”

As Bloomberg made his way back into his car, one protester can be heard yelling, “Have a nice ride home, my brother! Sleep well! Sleep tight! Don’t let the bedbugs bite!”

As his car pulls away, the protesters begin another chant of “All day, all week, Occupy Wall Street!”

Apparently, the mayor also visited the park to let the protesters know city officials would be clearing the area in shifts for cleaning beginning 7 a.m. Friday morning, but they will be permitted to return. Some protesters are skeptical, though, about whether they will be allowed back once they leave.

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An email from Occupy Wall Street spokesperson Patrick Bruner said:

Everyone come dressed as a corporate zombie! This means jacket and tie if possible, white face, fake blood, eating monopoly money, and doing a slow march, so when people come to work on Monday in this neighborhood they see us reflecting the metaphor of their actions. Tell your friends, Facebook it, Twitter it, and it can be MJ Thriller-style too! Create a different image than police brutality!

Plenty of protesters heeded the instructions and donned white makeup, fake blood and props as their regular march proved to be more of a lurch this afternoon.

“We are really just trying to have a little fun, mix it up a bit and also call out the people who work within corporations who go to work unthinking, do their corporate jobs and then leave, without recognizing the harm that they are causing to the people around them,” said Arie Cowan, a 21-year-old protester who called himself a community organizer.

The initiative definitely attracted a lot of attention as members of the media swarmed Zuccotti Park, an obvious sign of how the movement has grown since its first week.

Passers-by stopped on the sidewalk, curious to figure out why the protesters were made up like zombies. Not everyone agreed with their message.

“It’s not fair because you could say the same for any worker who is holding down a regular job,” said Rupak R., an electronic trader who said he works on Wall Street. “Whether they are on Wall Street or Silicon Valley or just a nine to five teacher or anybody else for the most part.”

The post PHOTOS: Zombies join ‘Occupy Wall Street’ appeared first on Metro.us.

The protesters have voiced plenty of discontent, but have yet to identity their official demands. Metro web editor Nate Jones and reporter Cassandra Garrison spent the entirety of Tuesday night with the protesters, learning about what brought them there and what life at a lengthy protest is like.

11:30 p.m.
We arrived to Zuccotti Park and some protesters were already asleep, while others were mingling and chatting. An area where lots of laptops and iPads were set up seemed to be the central “command center.” People there were organizing food, water and some medical supplies. A significant police presence surrounded the perimeter of the park. I am starving, so I buy chicken and rice from a nearby street vendor. Glamorous!  –Cassandra

11:44 p.m.
A college student called a “student working group” and about five college students sat down to discuss what the protest means to them and how students can contribute. Their points included setting up a “study station” within Zuccotti Park, which would serve as a safe place to leave their books and notes; getting their professors involved; trying to figure out a way for protesters to be permitted to use dorm restrooms and showers at local colleges; networking and encouraging other students to join them at the protest.

One student called the Occupy Wall Street movement a “mix between democracy and anarchy.” –Cassandra

12:00 a.m.
I’m having college flashbacks in the student working group. There’s a small group of facilitators working hard to keep discussions organized and on-topic, focused on concrete goals, but the talk is often sidetracked by choir-preaching rants against banks and bankers and right wingers. The need to talk, it sometimes appears, is inversely related to the amount you have to say. –Nate

1:30 a.m.
A young man who works in the nearby September 11 memorial has joined the conversation out of curiosity. He decides to buy the group a very large amount of chicken nuggets. –Cassandra

2:02 a.m.
We are starting to get sleepy, but the discussion continues in the form of several micro-chats. We overhear people talking about sex trafficking in Russia. –Cassandra

2:45 a.m.
Sleeping on the sidewalk, surprisingly, is not very fun. I have a backpack full of t-shirts and a thin blanket that does not begin to cover me, which turn out not to be ideal equipment. Trying to nap on your side is right out, unless you want to wake up with bruises all over your shoulder and hipbone. Lying on your back is a little better, but be warned: A backpack probably will not provide you with the proper amount of neck support. My respect for the protesters who are doing this every night increases. –Nate

3:00 a.m.
As the discussion group dwindles down to one conversation circle, I ask the group what exactly brought them here. What are their goals? We receive many different theories about what is wrong with the current system, including corporate greed, the drain on environmental resources and the large amount of wealth held by one percent of the population. When I press them on what exactly their message is, they admit they have no one, clear message. Instead, they say, Occupy Wall Street can mean something different to different people. –Cassandra

3:30 a.m.
When I ask them about the common theme of this protest being “America’s Tahrir moment,” they admit the two are not comparable. The group agrees this is not a revolution, but instead a demonstration to make their voices heard. What those voices are saying, though, is still up for discussion. They call Occupy Wall Street a “first step.”

4:00 a.m.
When I wake up, Cassie is parsing the meaning of the word “violence” with a few remaining protesters. –Nate

5:56 a.m.
Two men in suits arrive with police officers and begin snapping photos of the camp on a digital camera. A protester asks where the men are from but they do not respond to him. They leave after taking a few photos. Some protesters suspect they were from the FBI.

The protesters direct us to the restrooms at the nearby McDonald’s and say the business has been very friendly to them and lets them come and go as needed. –Cassie

6:15 a.m.
Lo and behold, they are correct! After seven hours on the frigid pavement, entering McDonalds is like walking into paradise. It’s warm! There’s ambient music! There are chairs — with padding! In retrospect, we totally should have crashed here for the night. (From the looks of it, some protesters did.) I buy an Egg McMuffin and it tastes better than anything I have eaten all week. –Nate

6:30 a.m.
We meet Artie, a fascinating young traveler whose main reason for coming to the demonstration was for a safe place to sleep. He tells us he works a full time job and could afford housing if he wanted, but instead chooses to hitchhike, live inside his van and scavenge for food — all so he can pay off his student loans more quickly. He spent the last two nights sleeping in Central Park and tells us stories from the road: How to pick the best spot in a park to sleep, what to do if a ride is giving you bad vibes, etc. We really like him. –Cassandra

We’ve taken to calling Artie “The Most Interesting Protester in the World.” –Nate

6:45 a.m.
Two of the protesters have left their bikes chained to a tree in the plaza. People are going around, nervously asking anyone if they know whose bikes they are. Attaching things to the trees is against the law, and the protesters seem worried than any slight tiptoe over the line will be seen as a provocation by the NYPD. –Nate

8:05 a.m.
The protesters begin to wake up. A woman who works for Capitol University approaches the camp and asks why they are there. She says she sees them and reads their signs, but doesn’t totally understand what they are trying to accomplish. A couple protesters try to explain that they want to abolish “corporate personhood,” the idea that, legally, a corporation has the same rights as a human. When the woman asks what they are asking people who sympathize with their aims to do, the protesters cannot offer a specific answer. (They do suggest that people should care more about their voices being heard.) The woman says she wishes she could buy coffee for the whole camp. She tries to offer Artie the hitchhiker some money. He politely refuses. –Cassandra

9:02 a.m.
The protesters gather and several start playing drums. They form a line and prepare for their morning march to Wall Street. They circle the park and make their way to Wall Street with a line of police by their sides. They chant, “All day, all week, Occupy Wall Street.” They arrive to Wall Street in time for the opening bell and the protest goes on without incident. UPDATE: We later receive word from protesters that four people were arrested between 10:10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

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