Occupy Wall Street: News Round-Up

Today's Big News: Bluff, Called.

A member of the Occupy Wall Street movement cleans a staircase in Zuccotti Park near the financial district of New York October 13, 2011. [Reuters Photo]

The New York Times City Room—Cleanup of Zuccotti Park Is Postponed:

The cleanup of the Lower Manhattan park that has been occupied by protesters for nearly a month was postponed Friday shortly before it was supposed to begin, averting a feared showdown between the police and demonstrators who had vowed to resist any efforts to evict them from their encampment.

The announcement was made by the Bloomberg administration around 6:20 a.m., about 40 minutes before workers were scheduled to enter Zuccotti Park, which has been the home base for the Occupy Wall Street demonstrators angered by what they see as an unfair and corrupt financial system.

"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 during their cleaning operation," Deputy Mayor Caswell F. Holloway said in a statement.

"Brookfield believes they can work out an arrangement with the protesters that will ensure the park remains clean, safe, available for public use," Mr. Holloway said, "and that the situation is respectful of residents and businesses downtown."

As news that the cleanup had been called off rippled through Zuccotti Park, cheers erupted among demonstrators who had been preparing for a possible confrontation.

"I did not come here to look for a fight," said Steve Sachs, of Highstown, N.J. "I've never been in a fight in my life. I've never been arrested. But I was ready to be arrested over this."

Late last night, Shaker rowmyboat sent these images of the planning that was being done for nonviolent resistance in case of a confrontation:



Here, via Matt Browner Hamlin, is an "awesome video of Occupy Wall Street getting the news of Bloomberg backing down on eviction."


Video Description: People shout and cheer as they receive the news.
Mayor Bloomberg continues to say that he believes cold weather will cause the natural end of the protests, and the new rules which prohibit tents and sleeping bags are clearly designed to make withstanding cold weather much more difficult. But I think he's underestimating the determination of these protests, or, maybe more importantly, the desperation underlying them.

Shaker TeaHag said in comments yesterday: "This reminds me so much of Greenham Common in the UK where women protested the location of nuclear weapons. Nobody ever thought that they could hold out, especially in wintertime... but they did.... for 19 years."

Solidarność.