Protesters camped out in Manhattan’s Financial District on Sunday, a day after more than 700 of them were arrested during a demonstration against what they view as corporate greed.
Police start making arrests on New York’s Brooklyn Bridge during Saturday’s march by Occupy Wall Street. Protesters speaking out against corporate greed and other grievances attempted to walk over the bridge from Manhattan, resulting in the arrest of more than 700.
Police start making arrests on New York’s Brooklyn Bridge during Saturday’s march by Occupy Wall Street. Protesters speaking out against corporate greed and other grievances attempted to walk over the bridge from Manhattan, resulting in the arrest of more than 700.
The demonstrators, part of the group Occupy Wall Street, were arrested Saturday during a confrontation with police on the Brooklyn Bridge. They were arrested after leaving the sidewalk on the bridge and walking in the road, police said.
“Over 700 summonses and desk appearance tickets have been issued in connection with a demonstration on the Brooklyn Bridge … after multiple warnings by police were given to protesters to stay on the pedestrian walkway,” said Paul Browne, spokesman for the New York City Police Department.
He said the protesters were warned that they would be arrested if they used the road.
Some protesters said they were lured onto the roadway by police, or that they didn’t hear instructions from police telling them to head to the pedestrian walkway.
“It seemed to me that the cops led the way and guided us through,” said protester Katie Davison, 31, a Los Angeles director of television commercials and documentaries. “It felt like entrapment on some level.”
The arrests did not dampen the group’s enthusiasm.
“We have one of the biggest crowds we’ve had in quite some time,” Davison, an Occupy Wall Street spokeswoman, said. “And the mood is really positive.”
She estimated that 800-1,500 people were at Zuccotti Park on Sunday afternoon.
Davison said she was arrested Saturday afternoon and put on a bus for two hours as police drove around looking for a precinct to book her. She said she remained handcuffed from the time of her arrest until 9:45p.m. and was released at 3:30a.m. Sunday. She said she repeatedly asked for water while she was detained but was refused it.
Also over the weekend, protesters in a few other cities assembled to show solidarity with the movement in New York. They gathered Saturday in Albuquerque, Boston and Los Angeles, though their demands remain unclear.
The protests against corporate greed and the nation’s banking institutions began Sept. 17, fueled largely by social media. The demonstrations have been gathering momentum, drawing hundreds of people from around the country. Celebrities including Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon have visited protesters to offer encouragement.
A core group of about 200 people remain camped throughout the week, sleeping on air mattresses. They march down to Wall Street twice a day on weekdays, Davison said.
The Brandt Standard 
Discussion
No comments yet.