Flashback to Fall: Occupy Revisits Zuccotti Park After New Arrests
At a Community Board meeting on Thursday night, the protesters and the residents living close by Zuccotti Park hashed out ideas that tried to satisfy both parties, limiting drum beats and arranging for bathroom access. It's been more than a month that Occupy Wall Streets have been camped at the area, and the meeting was spurred by residents complaints, some of whom aired grievances to New York 1, NBC New York and the New York Post of loud drumming, worrying about their safety and noting more trash in the area. The Post, naturally, has the most colorful fuming resident quotes:
"They are defecating on our doorsteps," fumed Catherine Hughes, a member of Community Board 1 and a stay at home mom who has the misfortune of living one block from the chaos. "A lot of people are very frustrated. A lot of people are concerned about the safety of our kids."
The meeting did seem to clarify some things, however, NBC New York reports that "A resolution passed by Community Board 1 during the meeting recognized Occupy Wall Street's First Amendment rights to protest and to assemble." It also included these goals, which may disappoint a few enthusiastic, populist OWS buglers:
- limiting the use of drums, trumpets, bugles and air horns to two hours a day, during the midday;
- arranging access to bathrooms off-site to eliminate urinating and defecating in doorways of retail shops and residential buildings;
- removing police barricades that block access to homes and businesses
Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments
or send an email to the author at
ehayden at nationaljournal dot com.
You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Erik Hayden
User Comments
Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register