Occupy Wall Street Ousted from Zuccotti Park

While Occupy Wall Street supporters were allowed to return today to Zuccotti Park to protest economic inequality, they are no longer allowed to camp there.

Police arrested about 200 protestors and dismantled tents, which have been set up for more than two months, during an unexpected 1 a.m. raid on Tuesday, according to the Huffington Post.

Occupy Wall Street is a movement that has spread across the world to protest the one percent of the wealthiest people who have created an unfair financial system, which they say has driven the economy into its current state.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said during a press conference the City had to keep health and public safety as its main priority. Huffington Post reports that the movement recently struggled with drug use, assault, theft, sanitation, confrontation with local businesses, the coming winter and a divide amongst those involved.

The "99 percent" said they suffered a loss in protestors, organization and $80,000 in tents, medical supplies, kitchen equipment, laptops and its library, as well as reports of police violence as a result of the raid.

By 9 a.m. on Tuesday, a judge issued a temporary restraining order against the city, however police refused to let protestors back into the park, according to the Huffington Post.

A judge later ruled at 5 p.m. that the park’s owner, Brookfield Properties, can enforce the parks rules, including no sleeping and no tents. A lawyer for the protestors says there is nothing barring them from returning, the Huffington Post reports.

“The movants have not demonstrated that they have a First Amendment right to remain in Succoth Park along with their tents, structures, generators, and other installations to the exclusion of the owner’s reasonable rights and duties to maintain Zuccotti Park, or to the rights to public access of others who might wish to use the space safety,” the ruling states.

Click here for the full story in Huffington Post.

What do you think?

• Do you think protestors First Amendment Rights should allow them to remain in the park? Why or why not?
• How do you think the raid will affect the Occupy Wall Street Movement?

Tell us in the comments.