Since Occupy Wall Street first moved in September 17th, the owner of Zuccotti Park, Brookfield Properties, has been trying to figure out a way to reassert control over what is their private property. New York Police Department Commissioner Ray Kelly’s Thursday announcement that clean-up crews will begin entering the park Friday, may be the beginning of their ability to do so.
Unlike public parks owned by New York City, which all have strict 1 AM curfews, Zuccotti Park has no formal rules against sleeping overnight. According to reports, prior to the protests, the only posted rules in the park prohibited skateboarding, rollerblading, and bicycling. Only after Occupy Wall Street arrived, did Brookfield post additional rules including the prohibition of tarps, tents, and sleeping bags.
The NYPD enforced the no-tent rule, but has allowed tarps and sleeping bags. But today, Commissioner Kelly announced that that will all change after the clean-up. According to NBC New York, the new requirements forbid:
- Camping and/or the erection of tents or other structures;
- Lying down on the ground or lying down on benches, sitting areas or walkways, which unreasonably interferes with the use of benches, sitting areas or walkways by others;
- The placement of tarps or sleeping bags or other covering on the property;
- Storage or placement of personal property on the ground, benches, sitting areas or walkways which unreasonably interferes with the use of such areas by others;
- The use of bicycles, skateboards and roller blades; and
- Removal of objects from trash receptacles.
This could be a shrewd move on Brookfield’s part. They are not kicking the protesters out, only cleaning the park. And the protesters are not forbidden from re-entering the park. It will just be next to impossible for them to stay the night.
Will the Occupy Wall Street protesters allow the cleaners to enter the park if they know they will not be allowed to bring their sleeping bags back in when the cleaners are done? Can the protests continue if the protesters can’t sleep there over night?
