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    November 15, 2011

NY Mayor: 'Occupy' Protesters Will Be Allowed to Return

   VOA News
   A statue of a businessman rests behind a police barricade at the edge
   of Zuccotti Park in New York after the Occupy Wall Street encampment
   was cleared form the park in the early morning hours after a nearly two
   month protest, November 15, 2011.
   Photo: AP
   A statue of a businessman rests behind a police barricade at the edge
   of Zuccotti Park in New York after the Occupy Wall Street encampment
   was cleared form the park in the early morning hours after a nearly two
   month occupation, November 15, 2011 .

   New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg "Occupy Wall Street" protesters will
   be allowed to return to a downtown park where they have camped out for
   the past two months, but they will not be allowed to bring tents or
   sleeping bags back in.
   Bloomberg spoke Tuesday, after police cleared Zuccotti Park of "Occupy
   Wall Street" protesters in the pre-dawn hours. Bloomberg said the park
   was cleared for cleaning and because the proliferation of tents and
   sleeping bags created a fire hazard.
   Bloomberg said just under 200 people were arrested in the early-morning
   action, when a large team of police officers wearing helmets and
   carrying shields forced hundreds of protesters to evacuate. Workers
   then tore down temporary dwellings and hauled trash away from what had
   become a small tent city.
   The Occupy Wall Street protest began in Zuccotti Park on September 17
   with a small group of activists seeking to focus attention on what they
   see as corporate greed and the increasing gap between the rich and poor
   across the globe. Protests have since spread to other cities.
   A statement by the city and the park's owner said the facility was
   being temporarily evacuated because of an "increased health and fire
   safety hazard" to those camped in the park.
   Police say most of the protesters left the park peacefully.
   The protests have faced a rising number of complaints by local
   residents and business owners who say the demonstrations have a
   negative impact on the neighborhood and small businesses.
   The movement has gathered momentum and has spawned similar protests in
   outdoor parks and squares in major cities across the United States, as
   well as around the world.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

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