New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg “Occupy Wall Street” protesters will be allowed to return to a downtown park where they have camped out for the past two months, but they will not be allowed to bring tents or sleeping bags back in.
Bloomberg spoke Tuesday, after police cleared Zuccotti Park of “Occupy Wall Street” protesters in the pre-dawn hours. Bloomberg said the park was cleared for cleaning and because the proliferation of tents and sleeping bags created a fire hazard.
Bloomberg said just under 200 people were arrested in the early-morning action, when a large team of police officers wearing helmets and carrying shields forced hundreds of protesters to evacuate. Workers then tore down temporary dwellings and hauled trash away from what had become a small tent city.
The Occupy Wall Street protest began in Zuccotti Park on September 17 with a small group of activists seeking to focus attention on what they see as corporate greed and the increasing gap between the rich and poor across the globe. Protests have since spread to other cities.
A statement by the city and the park’s owner said the facility was being temporarily evacuated because of an “increased health and fire safety hazard” to those camped in the park.
Police say most of the protesters left the park peacefully.
The protests have faced a rising number of complaints by local residents and business owners who say the demonstrations have a negative impact on the neighborhood and small businesses.
The movement has gathered momentum and has spawned similar protests in outdoor parks and squares in major cities across the United States, as well as around the world.