Occupiers Clash With Police in New York; 6 Arrested
Six protesters from the Occupy Wall Street movement were arrested early Wednesday in New York’s Union Square Park during a confrontation with police, authorities said.
The demonstrators were arrested after they were asked to vacate the lower Manhattan park at midnight, according to New York Police Department spokesman Detective Marc Nell.
“Protesters were asked to leave because of sanitary reasons. We had people coming in to clean the park. Arrests were made because the protesters were blocking pedestrian traffic,” Nell said.
There were six charges of disorderly conduct, four charges of obstructing government administration, one charge of resisting arrest and one charge of violation of local law, the spokesman said.
Anthony Melendez, a Brooklyn resident and former priest who said he was present during the confrontation, told CNN there were roughly 300 protesters in the park by the time police started asking people to leave. Police did not confirm the number of protesters present.
The occupiers were unsure as to what laws they were breaking before police ordered them to leave, according to Melendez.
“There were several of us going around sweeping, making sure everything was neat. We even made sure to keep in small groups and maintain space between each other,” he said.