The New York Police Department has begun the process of cleaning up the remaining protesters from a camp in downtown Manhattan’s City Hall Park, where the group has been camping in tents for the past few weeks, according to police and social networks.
New York police moved in shortly before 4 am in the Center and Chambers streets area, and began the process of expelling protesters, police said. The group camped at City Hall Park at least since mid-June, demanding that police remove the money after weeks of protests over the death of George Floyd and other African-Americans who died while in police custody or in officer-related shootings.
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Organizers called it “Occupy City Hall”, a nod to the Occupy Wall Street 2011 movement a few blocks away in Zuccotti Park.
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During his press conference Wednesday morning, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that he and New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea had made the decision together around 10 p.m. on Tuesday to dismantle the camp.
“What we saw change in the last few weeks was that the meeting there was getting smaller and smaller, it was less and less protests, it became more and more an area where homeless people gathered,” said de Blasio.
Protesters sit in their camp, adjacent to the City Hall. in New York, Wednesday July 1, 2020. (AP Photo / Mark Lennihan)
“I repeatedly said that we always respect the right to protest, but first we have to think about health and safety, and health and safety issues were growing,” he added. “So it was time to take action.”
Shea said there were still between 40 to 50 people located inside the park when police moved in Wednesday morning.
New York Police entered with attorneys and video cameras, and warned the occupants, Shea said. He also said that officers gave people the opportunity to take their properties.
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“Several people did not want to leave,” added Shea.
No one was injured, Shea said, but one person threw a brick at an officer, who was blocked by a shield.
In total, seven people were arrested, including the person accused of throwing a brick. The other six will likely be released with summons, Shea said.
In closing, Shea called it “one for the winning column and another step to return to normal.”
The NYPD anticipates that the cleanup will take several weeks.
Courtney Crawford and The Associated Press of Fox News contributed to this report.
