MADRE Statements

Occupy Wall Street Protesters Are Evicted, But the Movement Stands Strong

Posted on: Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Keywords: Human Rights Advocacy, Environmental Justice, Economic Justice

In the middle of the night on November 15, Occupy Wall Street protesters were evicted from their encampments in Zuccotti Park. MADRE denounces this decision by Mayor Bloomberg and the subsequent violent eviction by the NYPD of protesters exercising their rights and standing up for the demands of the 99%.

Mayor Bloomberg ordered the eviction claiming that the park needed to be cleaned. He also stated that the tents and sleeping bags had begun to endanger the safety of protesters, first responders and nearby residents. Dozens of demonstrators were arrested, belongings were destroyed, and there are credible reports of violence by the NYPD.

In response to the eviction, the National Lawyers Guild obtained a temporary restraining order against the City of New York and Brookfield Properties, stating that occupiers be allowed to return to the park with their tents. A later hearing will determine the legality of the eviction and whether this restraining order can be upheld. (To read the National Lawyers Guild press release in full, click here.)

In his statement this morning, Bloomberg repeatedly accused the occupiers of hindering the public’s right to enjoy the park. What Bloomberg fails to realize is that the people of Occupy Wall Street are the public—the 99% whose protest has spread across the country and the world. The eviction will not silence the Occupy movement.

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