Hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters marched through lower Manhattan last night in solidarity with the evicted Occupy movements in Atlanta, Georgia, and Oakland, California, where violence erupted late on Tuesday. There was no such conflict in New York on Wednesday night, but tension was high as police blocked the path of the march, and at least ten people were arrested to chants of, “Oakland to NYC, stop police brutality.” Following the clashes in Oakland, where tear gas was used and one man, an Iraq war veteran, suffered a broken skull, governments in other cities housing Occupy sects are on high alert while they try to figure out some sort of long-term solution.
While Mayor Bloomberg has adopted a more low-key, wait-it-out policy on the protests lately, some cities big and small are becoming wary of continued demonstrations, with mayors in Los Angeles and Boston warning protesters that they can’t stay outside forever. In Providence, Rhode Island, the mayor is seeking a court order to remove the occupiers, while in Atlanta, where 50 people were arrested simultaneously to the Oakland violence, Mayor Kasim Reed said, “The attitude I have seen here is not consistent with any civil rights protests I have seen in Atlanta and certainly not consistent with the most respected forms of civil disobedience.”
Around 3,000 protesters rallied again in Oakland last night, but remained peaceful, invigorated by their strong showing after the previous night’s horrors. This time, police kept their distance as demonstrators chanted, “Now the whole world is watching Oakland.”
And it’s true: An Egyptian blogger reports today that demonstrators in Tahrir will march to the U.S. embassy tomorrow to protest the crackdowns in the United States.
Cities Begin Cracking Down on ‘Occupy’ Protests [NYT]
Occupy Wall Street protesters in NYC proclaim solidarity with demonstrators in Oakland, Atlanta [NYDN]
