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Occupy Wall Street Protesters Can Stay At Zuccotti Park After Owners Postpone Cleanup

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Columbia University students Zoe Ridolfi-Starr, left, and Quitze Valenzuela-Stookey react with other demonstrators affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street protests as the announcement that they would not have to leave the park for a cleanup crew was made, Friday, Oct. 14, 2011.  (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Columbia University students Zoe Ridolfi-Starr, left, and Quitze Valenzuela-Stookey react with other demonstrators affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street protests as the announcement that they would not have to leave the park for a cleanup crew was made, Friday, Oct. 14, 2011. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

Occupy Wall Street

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The occupation will continue, for now.

WCBS 880′s Alex Silverman On The Elation And Arrests

The mayor’s office released a statement at around 6:30 a.m., saying that the owners of Zuccotti Park decided to postpone their planned 7 a.m. cleanup of the park.

However, on his weekly WOR Radio show, Bloomberg said Brookfield Properties could still go ahead with an official cleanup if a compromise can’t be reached with protesters.

LISTEN: 1010 WINS’ John Montone reports 

Brookfield Office Management, the owners of the park, said they are “Withdrawing their request from earlier in the week for police assistance during their cleaning operation,” according to a statement from Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway.

The Occupy Wall Street movement's cleaning supplies in Zuccotti Park - New York, NY - Oct 14, 2011 (credit: Marla Diamond / WCBS 880)

The Occupy Wall Street movement's cleaning supplies in Zuccotti Park - New York, NY - Oct 14, 2011 (credit: Marla Diamond / WCBS 880)

“Our position has been consistent throughout: the City’s role is to protect public health and safety, to enforce the law, and guarantee the rights of all New Yorkers. Brookfield believes they can work out an arrangement with the protesters that ensure the park remains clean, safe, available for public use and that the situation is respectful of residents and businesses downtown, and we will continue to monitor the situation,” the statement said.

Bloomberg said that as of 8 o’clock Thursday night, Brookfield Properties was going forward with the cleaning, but by midnight they had decided to postpone it.

“I think what happened, my understanding is, that Brookfield got lots of calls from many elected officials threatening them,” said his honor on his WOR-AM radio show Friday.

Police commissioner Ray Kelly had made it crystal clear to WCBS 880 that it would be Brookfield personnel, not the NYPD, who would be directing the protesters within the park, which is private property.

The commissioner told WCBS 880 that the NYPD would stand by “to make certain the peace is maintained.”

WCBS 880′s Rich Lamb On Bloomberg’s Comment

“It’s a total victory,” said one demonstrator. “The mass of people in the United States supports this and they’re going to look bad if they break this up.”

One demonstrator wasn’t convinced of the motive behind the postponement, calling it a ploy to catch protesters off guard.

“I wouldn’t put too much stock in the fact that they’re not going in today,” he told 1010 WINS’ John Montone. “The announced it too publicly. I think it’s a fake out.”

The move was expected to defuse a potential confrontation between the police and protesters who were determined not to vacate the park.

Video: Protesters Learn About Postponment

Protesters rejoiced when hearing the news of the postponed clean up, chanting “The people, united, will never be defeated” and “We are the 99 percent!”

When they took to the streets to march toward Wall Street in celebration many demonstrators clashed with police. Several arrests had been made.

The protestors have been living in Zuccotti Park for the past 27 days.

A member of the Occupy Wall Street movement sleeps in Zuccotti Park midday - New York, NY - Oct 14, 2011 (credit: Marla Diamond / WCBS 880)

A member of the Occupy Wall Street movement sleeps in Zuccotti Park midday - New York, NY - Oct 14, 2011 (credit: Marla Diamond / WCBS 880)

Thursday, the park’s owners distributed flyers making it clear that sleeping bags, tents and tarps would not be welcome. Similarly, lying on benches or the pavement would also not be allowed.

Some protesters said that amounted to an eviction notice.

Hip Hop mogul Russell Simons took to Twitter Thursday to make a personal appeal to Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“Dear @MikeBloomberg – I will pay for clean-up of Zuccotti Park to avoid confrontation. I don’t wanna go to jail but I will be there ready!” Simmons tweeted.

Thursday night, members of the Occupy Wall Street movement marched to City Hall with thousands of petitions in an effort to put a halt to this morning’s clean-up. They worked late into the night cleaning up the park, wielding soapy brooms and piling trash on the curb.

Yetta Kurland, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild, said the city could have been breaking the law if they had forced an evacuation of Zuccotti Park without a court order.

“Their fundamental rights to be able to utilize the park and to express their opinions and exercise their First Amendment rights,” said Kurland.

Now that the protest will continue, that means their planned activities will be going forward.

Protesters have planned a “Family Sleep Over” in the park, set to start at 4 p.m.

The weekend looks as though it may be a busy one for the demonstrators, with several events and marches planned for Saturday.

Though it seems a potential crisis at Zuccotti Park has been averted for now, on Thursday, public advocate Bill de Blasio said city officials shouldn’t ignore the Occupy Wall Street movement.

“It’s up the mayor and everyone at City Hall now to change course,” he said. “To sit down with the people from Occupy Wall Street and find a peaceful way forward.”

What do you make of the decision? Sound off in our comments section.

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60 Comments

Meme Meyagi

what is done about 7 million mooslime terrorists living in usa?

October 15, 2011 at 3:47 am

Morris Bergen

Two relevant quotes:

“The communist, seeing the rich man and his fine home, says: ‘No man should have so much.’ The capitalist, seeing the same thing, says: ‘All men should have as much.’ ”

“Capitalism is the exploitation of man by man, and communism is the reverse.”

October 14, 2011 at 10:53 pm

Wall St Bond Trader

I started work this morning at 9:30am and by 12 noon I made SIX figures. Obviously those idiots have no affect on my livelihood.

October 14, 2011 at 4:26 pm

badman

“effect”.

six figures, if you carry the decimal out four places. like you’d have time to post on some dumb news site. you’re just some loser cleaning toilets somewhere.

October 15, 2011 at 2:01 pm

masih

Badman comment that he made six figures in a day is a lie and brag. Because he is not required to substantiate what he claims to have made, he can claim anything he wants. If he really made it as he claimed to have made it, he would have had better understanding for the plight of the people who work all the day and cannot make ends meet. Either that or they do not have even the chance to work to make a decent living because of the high unemployment, The Wall Street Journal claimed that for every job opening in the US there are six applicants, While in China for every six job opening there are only five applicants. Why is it so, because they have good economic planning in their capitalist system, not like what we have in our capitalist system.

What he claims to have made, even if it is right, is peanut compared to what Warren Buffet have made. That is why intelligent person like Warren Buffet understands the problem better than such idiot can understand. Tea party ignorant like Badman considers the unfortunate people are not as smart as he is. In fact, there are many smart people in between the lower ranks of the society are better than many rich persons, but somehow the system did not give them a chance to make it, or they are honest did not want to be crooks as those who made it in Wall Street Cartel. Some of those who are rich if you strip them from their wealth they will show how idiots they are. Money always covers the shortcomings of the person. Poverty always makes the intelligent people look like idiots in the eyes of idiots like Badman. We at the Journal of Modern Socialism (www.journalofmodernsocialism.com) consider all people have intelligence in one field or the other. If the system gives them chance they can prove it. That way the society would be a much better society than ignorant as Badman wants to have so that he can brag and insult the honest working people, accusing them of being lazy.
masih

October 16, 2011 at 12:42 am

Ivy

dear fans of zomboFox, do you think that you favorite republican party would not do the bail out? seriously? you know they are sponsored by these banks, right? Oh, and one more thing you know that with the fail of anyone of these banks your 401K and portfolios of the super rich will go down, don’t you? Please guess again what RP would do. Stop watching zomboFox and read some books on economics.

October 14, 2011 at 3:53 pm

M. BLOOMBERG

THE PROTESTORS ARE A BUNCH OF “NOBODY” WHO NEED A REASON TO EXIST !!!

October 14, 2011 at 1:53 pm

M. BLOOMBERG

excuse me…..”NOBODYS”….

October 14, 2011 at 1:55 pm

Vik

UNOCCUPYWALLSTREET! ‘Nuf said.

October 14, 2011 at 1:40 pm

Jen/Realtor

As a Realtor watching all these home owners illegally thrown out on the streets for the past 4 years, while the banksters and servicing companies lied to these home owners saying “Oh yea your good just keep sending in this $ amount per month and your going to be fine, long enough to collect from these home owners as much in pocket then pull the rug from under them and foreclose, while the courts allow this is a shock to what I once knew… These poor people /families /kids /animals thrown out of their home and lied to by these bastards!
Their have been families who killed their entire family thinking their was no other way out, their were people who hung themselves or put the gun against their head and pulled the trigger!! THIS IS MURDER ON THE BANKSTERS AND ALL INVOLVED. They made these people feel worthless, as i said these BAstards.

October 14, 2011 at 1:14 pm

M. BLOOMBERG

….DON’T FORGET THE SNEAKY REAL ESTATE BROKERS !!

October 14, 2011 at 2:09 pm

Masih

Yes, he is absolutely right. He saw it while he was doing his business as a realtor. Few people would be honest in reporting what they see and what they feel. the crime of wall street cartel is huge but it is silent. It does notmake noise. It let idiot like the Tea Party and the rest of the republicans make the noise against the victims and defending the real criminals under the pretext of their own definitionof civilization and justice.

October 15, 2011 at 12:01 am

Yup

“Police commissioner Ray Kelly had made it crystal clear to WCBS 880 that it would be Brookfield personnel, not the NYPD, who would be directing the protesters within the park, which is private property.” What about the undercover NYPD officers monitoring the Muslim demonstrators, after they read about the connection to the Arab Spring?

October 14, 2011 at 1:06 pm

pete moss

As long as its peaceful I’m in agreement with this action. Man this country started going downhill about 20years ago. There are absolutely no customer service or industry jobs left in this country causing all this unemployment that causes Unemployment benefit that the taxpayers bears. Also if there is lack of jobs no one buys, no tax revenue no home sales no mortgage tax, water and sewer payments empty home cause no Real estate taxes if people are afraid to purchase its because of losing their jobs and wont update there homes causing more issues. Government should not bear the burden of unemployment. Tax the corporations that send American jobs overseas make it there worth while to create them back in the states, the made in china stamp has to be reduced before they buy us out!! There needs to be a more fair global balance with imports and exports. Lets just hope for a better tomorrow and unemployment gets reduced real soon!!!

October 14, 2011 at 12:32 pm

Bloomberg Love Triangle

Does Bloomberg have a hidden Occupy Wall Street agenda? Let’s begin the analysis with the little-reported fact that Mayor Bloomberg’s girlfriend Diana L. Taylor is on the board of directors for Brookfield, who owns Zuccoti Park. It would not be much of a stretch to conclude that the Mayor and his girlfriend arrived at the decision to postpone the cleanup together. Why would the Mayor do that?

Read more at http://www.leadfootedrabbit.com/2011/10/does-bloomberg-have-hidden-occupy-wall.html#more

October 14, 2011 at 12:27 pm

The Realist

If protesters are allowed to stay too long, they’ll invoke “adverse possession” and claim ownership of the plaza.

October 14, 2011 at 11:12 am

Joe, Clifton NJ

As long as they stay in NY and don’t cross the Hudson it’s ok with me.

October 14, 2011 at 10:29 am

Colleen in Flyover Country

If I were a tax-paying resident of NYC, I would be very upset that they are wasting my tax dollars on police for these idiots. Where is the ‘Recall Bloomberg’ movement? Or do these hippie-wannabees really represent the 99%?

October 14, 2011 at 9:09 am

AgentPeach

The NYC tax payers aren’t having to bear the costs of the protests because JP Morgan donated $4.6 million to the NYPD shortly before the protests began. They still have some time to go through the rest of that money before it becomes a taxpayer burden.
http://www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/Home/article/ny-13.htm

October 14, 2011 at 10:38 am

mo

Are you that selfish or what?!? That money could have been used in the communities! That money could have been used for PAL! That money could have been used for a vast array of other things but YOU think it is okay that we spend it on overtime for these cops to babysit a bunch of losers who have no freakin’ clue how to live their lives.

I’m telling you … selfish and self-centered. What a freakin’ embarressment you are.

October 14, 2011 at 10:48 am

pete moss

How do you feel about wasting tax dollars to bail out the banks via your tax dollars if a small business was in trouble you can bet there’s no bailout for them!!!

October 14, 2011 at 12:40 pm

Michael H.

“Too big to fail” is too big to exist. But that’s just my humble opinion.

October 14, 2011 at 1:07 pm

SALTINE

“The mass of people in the United States supports this and they’re going to look bad if they break this up.”

Do they REALLY think Bloomberg or Brookfield CARE how it looks to this phantom 99 percent who somehow have not managed to VOTE these Obama supporting morons out???? Who are the phantom 99 percent???? Who are they???? If they are legion (and 99 percent is a BIG one!), none of those Bankster-owned crooks in the Obama Admin. would be in office!!!!

October 14, 2011 at 9:06 am

Juan1

Bloomberg, another weak leader like Obozo.

October 14, 2011 at 9:04 am

rplat

Bloomberg backed down and is letting them continue their filthy, destructive protests. He and that entire city government are a bunch of cowards. It’s time to confront those pigs and drive them off the streets. We’re headed for street wars so prepare yourselves.

October 14, 2011 at 8:49 am

Bob Smith

We need Rudy!

October 14, 2011 at 9:02 am

DanTe

Zucatti Park is a real nice area to drop a napalm onto right now. Removes a lot of useless detritus.

October 14, 2011 at 8:46 am

CSI

Don.t see what the big deal was. Let them clean the park. It’s a win win. You get a clean space to keep Occupying and you get the service done for you. Don’t have to do a thing. After that if they don’t let you back in then it makes them look bad. Which is something they don’t want so they will not do it.

October 14, 2011 at 8:44 am

TomNJ

Its time we raise the age of legal adulthood in this country to 30! Then their parents can come and drag then by their ears back home and ground them all.

October 14, 2011 at 8:33 am

blah

all of you idiotic protesters need to clean after yourselves!!! that place is dirty, filthy, and full of stinky people! next week… you’ll see human rights groups protesting against the government for not providing a safe and “clean” environment for protesters lol then you might have sick people spreading nasty germs all over the place and waahhhlaaaa… a group of people demanding ems care at the expense of taxpayers

October 14, 2011 at 8:29 am

The Leadfooted Rabbit

Did you know that Mayor Bloomberg’s girlfriend Diana L. Taylor is on the board of directors for Brookfield who owns Zuccoti Park? Interesting??? What’s going on here? Was the conflict averted by a payoff?

The Leadfooted Rabbit reports what the media doesn’t:

http://www.leadfootedrabbit.com

October 14, 2011 at 8:21 am

Rev. Sharpton

I’m bringing my homies down to kick some white ass.

October 14, 2011 at 8:00 am

Louis Farachan

lmao

October 14, 2011 at 12:15 pm

The Realist

Why are these protesters being given the SPECIAL RIGHT to prevent the public from using a public space?

October 14, 2011 at 7:55 am

liz

It’s going to get UGLY! I guarantee it. I said this weeks ago. The Thugs and the Fleabaggers against the commom people trying to get to their jobs. Yes, trying to get to their jobs. And yes there ARE jobs to be had. It’s just not up to their standards. Poor, whiney babies, when things don’t go their way this is exactly what happens, and of course without fail Susan Sarandon appears just the perk that the Fleabaggers need. A has been actress showing up in her LIMO to support the LOSERS!

October 14, 2011 at 8:14 am

THIRD SOURCE AND CENTER

How old are you? 12?

October 14, 2011 at 12:29 pm

michaelfury

“Freedom’s untidy.”

- Donald Rumsfeld

http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2009/03/10/culture-of-deception/

October 14, 2011 at 7:43 am

Medup

“The weekend looks as though it may be a busy one for the demonstrators. According to their website, they’re planning a “Mass March on the CHASE Bank.” They’re planning to close their accounts….”
I wonder how much money they have in their accounts? …..

October 14, 2011 at 7:25 am

Protest this

Lol all pickpockets and street criminals report to Chase Bank on saturday.These peple will be taking out there life savings which fit in a change purse lol. What are they marching for again and half these peoples parents made money off Wall Street as so does every Union.I think these idiots just cannot afford trip to DC so NYC is stuck with them until some crazy looney goes after them which in new york will happen soon.

October 14, 2011 at 9:01 am

jeff davis

Mayor Bloomie said he is going to horsewhip these thugs like a slave needs whipped.

October 14, 2011 at 7:20 am

FB

You know what? Brookfield Properties should reimburse NYC for the cost of the police presence in the area. Why should we have to shoulder the cost? The DOE lost over 700 workers last week because of the budget cuts but now we have to babysit these kids.

Let Brookfield pay for it.

October 14, 2011 at 7:09 am

tom

“Brookfield Properties should reimburse NYC for the cost” Are you for real?Brookfield would love to return their privately owned property to its intended use…which is NOT a campsite for the misguided and disillusioned. The Mayor clearly talked them into allowing this .000000099% rabble to continue their little drug fest for a few more days. Brookfield should probably sue the City for not protecting their property (which they pay the city outrageous property taxes to protect).

October 14, 2011 at 12:22 pm

Vik

That’s right Tom — Brookfield. Since they want to babysit this trash past today they SHOULD reimnburse the City for the overtime for the cops who had to babysit theIr trash friends. Yes, Tom – T R A S H !!! The trash they’re tossing on the curb — they should sit on the mountains of bags and being carted away. NOBODY GIVES A CRAP ABOUT THEM HERE!!!!!! Let Russell Simmons give them all jobs if he feels so bad.

October 14, 2011 at 1:23 pm

mo

What a bunch of baloney. Why do we even bother having laws?

October 14, 2011 at 6:58 am

Michael H.

Peaceful protest is how you affect change to those laws.

October 14, 2011 at 7:07 am

mo

You mean, mob rule …

October 14, 2011 at 7:10 am

Michael H

AND ALSO BY SWALLOWING GOBS OF HOT CVM

October 14, 2011 at 7:30 am

Michael H.

I’m flattered that you find me important enough on these forums to try to impersonate me.

October 14, 2011 at 8:32 am

pete moss

UFC should fire the idiot teachers not by senority so these kids will actually learn talk about waiste of taxpayers money??? Look I cant even spell I was taught by one of those idiots!!!

October 14, 2011 at 12:19 pm

THIRD SOURCE AND CENTER

THAT is funny.

October 14, 2011 at 12:39 pm

liz

Third Source And Center—–How old are you??? 12?????

October 14, 2011 at 5:21 pm

Daniel London

As Martin Luther King said, there are just laws, and there are unjust laws.A just law, when used for morally wrong purposes, because an unjust law – one that has no legitimacy and which people don’t have to adhere to. This is one of those laws, and this is one of those times.

October 14, 2011 at 7:11 am

The Realist

Is it “morally wrong” for a private property owner to want that property cleaned?

October 14, 2011 at 7:53 am

THIRD SOURCE AND CENTER

In this case – yes. Morals are more at stake here than laws.

October 14, 2011 at 12:34 pm

mo

What a bunch of BS.

You know, I’m tired of obeying laws and rules of this d**n city and if I don’t comply I get fined out the wazoo. These people are taking away resources from other areas of our city and WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT, all so they can have the protest. Where is the rule of law for them? Why are WE paying for them to lounge around and bang on drums.

I hate this city. I hate this city. I hate this city.

October 14, 2011 at 6:54 am

oarsman

The withdrawal of the eviction notification has denied the protestors of their Mass Movement Moment of Nirvana, namely the polarizing faux martyrdom that many of them seek. For them, it’s back to the drawing board.

October 14, 2011 at 6:49 am

Michael H.

The withdrawal of the eviction notice is a huge victory for #OWS. Their ranks have swollen greatly. BFP and the city were forced to back down.

October 14, 2011 at 7:02 am

Bobby Fisher

Forced to back down? BFP and the city knew this was going to happen……they are playing chess, this was only their first move. They have the game mapped out already.

October 14, 2011 at 7:30 am

Ed

The reason it was postponed and will likely not end is because of the skewed and entirely uncritical reporting by news sources such as Newsradio 88. It’s disgraceful.

October 14, 2011 at 6:48 am

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