Get Out! “Occupy Wall Street” Protest Sites Cleared by Police

Oakland yesterday, NYC today: Police have been ordered by the cities that employ them to clear out “tent cities” associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement. The reasons given vary; in California, Oakland officials cited instances of drug use and violence—even a recent murder—in the encampments. In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg declared he has sought to strike a balance between public safety and the rights of the protestors; apparently the balance shifted too much, for at 1:00 a.m. this morning, police moved in and cleared Zuccotti Park, ostensibly for cleaning. In both cities, protestors will be allowed back into the parks but will not be allowed to bring sleeping gear or tents. In Oakland, 33 protestors were arrested during the police action; in NYC today, police arrested 70.

Check out the latest articles and audio about these controversial police actions. The New York Times has articles from today's and yesterday's editions about Oakland and New York City. NPR featured audio segments on Occupy protests in NYC, Oakland, and Los Angeles in today’s Morning Edition program. (An interesting and perhaps unexpected point about the clearing of Zuccotti Park is that, from the perspective of some protestors at least, the movement itself could actually benefit, as Zuccotti is seen by some to have become an unwanted distraction from the movement's political goals.) 

Salon.com’s Glenn Greenwald posted this scathing criticism of Mayor Bloomberg and his order to clear Zuccotti Park. And finally, Slate.com features an interesting article on how the police themselves might feel about their roles as both protectors and enforcers.