Occupy Wall Street Booted From Zuccotti Park

Update: A state judge in New York issued a temporary restraining order that would allow protesters back into the park. However, reports indicate protesters have already set up some sort of makeshift camp on Sixth Avenue and Canal.

Emerging from the overnight chaos are threads regarding suppression of information and confiscation of the books belonging to the Occupy Library. Ben Doernberg storified the reports from media who were kept out and/or arrested during the night’s raid. And OWS activist Stephen Boyer discusses the events during the raid and the confiscation of the OWS Library’s 5,000 books. (The sidebar feed on the OWS Library site tracks the books coming into the library, and is a great listy read in and of itself). There is a plan for rebuilding the library and public readings at Zuccotti Park this evening.

Overnight New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg had Occupy Wall Street protesters removed forcibly from Zuccotti Park. 72 were reported arrested after they had formed a barricade by human-chaining-themselves together. There is an 11:30 am. ET hearing on the restraining order at the New York Supreme Court. Mayor Bloomberg has tweeted “inaction was not an option” and glad it went smoothly sentiments.  This morning in New York the organizing committee met in Duarte Park. Meanwhile residents who agreed with Bloomberg that the birth of the movement had become a giant homeless encampment flashed a thumbs-up, according to this New York Times blog.

Shades of partisanship can be evidenced even in the breaking news.  (David Brooks of the New York Times Op-Ed pages has been outrightly contemptuous of a movement that definitely has legs beyond real estate valuation, and the reality of a coming cold winter to New York.)

At 22 hours ago The Guardian reported that attempts at the Occupy Protesters core committee meeting to speak became fractious between the members in New York.

For the movement eviction in pictures link see here. It includes photos from Denver and Oakland Occupys which this morning are receiving less media attention than New York. In Denver, police in riot helmets with billy clubs flank piles of makeshift shelters and cardboard trash and litter, in one photo. Here is also a link to New York photographer Janette Beckman’s series of portraits.