Occupy Wall Street 6 month anniversary met with NYPD brutality

This past Saturday was the 6-month anniversary of the protests of Occupy Wall Street in Liberty Plaza/Zuccotti Park. About 300 people had gathered, and were met by the NYPD who forcefully cleared the park. From Sarah Jaffe for Alternet:

It was a beautiful scene in Zuccotti Park–clearly Liberty Plaza again–on Saturday night around 11:00. Giant banners unfurled along the edges, declaring that Occupy Wall Street was back in town.

The only tent in sight, besides a makeshift one already torn down once by about eight police officers as protesters went to check out a bagpipe procession heading up Cedar Street, was a small illuminated one held aloft on a stick with the words “You can’t evict an idea” painted on its side.

And then things changed. Police charged into the park, arresting 73 people. Some occupiers remained, linking arms, in the park when the police declared it needed to be closed. Twitter reported a broken jaw, a broken thumb, and one particularly bad arrest of a young woman having a seizure while being arrested (intense video here).

Here’s a clip of the march; the arrests begin at about 3:40.

Filmmaker Michael Moore, in town for the Left Forum, was there on Saturday night to witness much of the action. He told Reuters:

“I think the goals are clear. People are concerned that they have no control over their own democracy. They have no control over their own lives. This is the beginning. This park is sacred ground for millions across the country.”