Just reading a whole heap of blogging on how, acting on Mayor Bloomberg’s instructions the NYPD waited until the city was asleep to expel the #occupy protestors from Zucotti Park; of course there were mass arrests.

• confiscating their tents and tarps
• throwing 5000 donated books for #thepeopleslibrary into dumpsters that were then hauled away
• refusing to let accredited journalists observe or photograph the proceedings, claiming that it was “too dangerous” for them
• a no-fly zone over Zucotti park was enforced so that news helicopters couldn’t take aerial shots either
• doormen of surrounding residential buildings were instructed to “lock up” while police prevented residents from leaving their buildings (according to NBC New York reporter Melissa Russo)

There were fears that all the books had been destroyed, but apparently even Bloomberg realises that being labelled a book-burner would be really bad PR – it has been announced that property from the park is being held so that owners can reclaim it. The only property photographed for the announcement is books.

An injunction against the city, allowing the protestors to return to the park, was issued within a few hours. Bloomberg has vowed to fight it.

Categories: culture wars, law & order, media, social justice

Tags: activism/charity, authoritarianism, police