Zucotti Re-Occupied! But No Sitting.

Kevin Gosztola at Firedoglake:

The barricades around Zuccotti Park were finally taken down after NYCLU took issue with how the presence of the barricades were in violation of Brookfield Properties’ zoning permit and wrote a letter. The removal led many Occupy Wall Street protesters to return to the park to “reclaim” it. They ordered free pizza to distribute. They brought the People’s Library back out (which bothered the Brookfield guards on duty immensely). They also sat and lied down on benches in the park and anyone who refused to get off the benches was arrested.

Here is a video that shows occupier Joey Boots being approached in the park. (h/t Gothamist ):

Following the arrest, We Are Change’s Luke Rudkowski shot this interview with Boots, who says he heard on the livestream that a cop said if you sit down in the park you’re going to be arrested. So, he got his ass in a cab and went down to Zuccotti to sit in the park.

He has a bad leg from a torn ACL. Like many Americans, he needs to be able to relax and the Brookfield guards did not want to allow that. And that is the political point here, too. This is something all Americans should be able to do and why are guards and officers empowered to keep a private and public space “secure” wasting energy and resources on people sitting or lying down on park benches?

Below is another video of the re-occupation. This one shows people getting arrested for sitting and lying down too. But, the best part comes at the end when you get to hear what a police officer really think of citizen journalists who carry cameras.

Get the fuck out of our way with that piece of shit you’ve got in your hand. You’re a regular fucking pain in the ass.

Regular Fucking Pains in the Ass Unite!

Click here to see the videos.