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Police Dissolve Occupy Wall Street Camp [Updated]

New York police officers raided Zuccotti Park on Tuesday morning and briefly shut down the two-month Occupy Wall Street camp.

[Updated, Nov.15, 2:15 p.m. PDT | A New York judge has upheld the city's eviction of the Lower Manhattan Occupy encampment . 

Protestors "have not demonstrated that they have a First Amendment right to remain in Zuccotti Park, along with their tents, structures, generators and other installations to the exclusion of the owner's reasonable rights," said Supreme Court Justice Michael Stallman said in his ruling Tuesday.

The plaza that demonstrators have occupied is open to the public, but is privately owned.

Lawyers representing the protestors had sought an order to let them resume camping in the park, but after this decision they have not decided whether to appeal.

A spokesman for President Obama hinted Tuesday that the president believes that it is up to individual municipalities to decide how much force to use when dealing with the Occupy demonstrators.

According to spokesman Jay Carney, the president is hoping a balance can be found between protecting public health and safety, but also the freedom of assembly.

The president was en-route to Australia when Carney made his statements, but Carney said that Obama was "aware" of what was happening in Zuccotti Park in New York. ]

Hundreds of New York police officers in full riot gear kicked Occupy Wall Street protesters out of Zuccotti Park early Tuesday morning, briefly wiping out the nucleus of the movement that has spread across the world. 

Many protesters left peacefullly but about 70 people were arrested over the course of the night, including those who had formed a human chain to resist officers. 

Occupy Wall Street protester arrested (Associated Press)
Occupy Wall Street protester arrested (Associated Press)

Officers cleared the entire park so that sanitation crews could come in and clean it.

Hours later, protesters were back with their tents after the National Lawyers Guild obtained a court order allowing the reoccupation.
 
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a news conference that the city was respecting the court order, but prioritized public safety above all else.

"The law that created Zuccotti Park required that it be open for the public to enjoy for passive recreation 24 hours a day," Bloomberg said. "Ever since the occupation began, that law has not been complied with, as the park has been taken over by protesters, making it unavailable to anyone else."

New rules for the protesters will prevent any sort of encampement from re-forming: no tents, no sleeping bags, and no tarps.   

Tuesday morning protesters took to the streets to protest the city's crackdown on the movement.   Some marched outside City Hall, chanting: "This is what democracy looks like."

Mayor Bloombreg: #OWS protesters will have to 'occupy the space with the power of their arguments'- @NYCMayorsOffice

Demonstrators around the world are rallying behind the challenge to the epicenter of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

In London, protesters camped outside St. Paul's Cathedral tweeted updates to show solidarity with their New York counterparts and planned ways to send support.

The London site has been aptly named "tent city university," for its high-level of organization, which includes a designated media tent, library, and lecture hall. 

Occupy London also faces eviction as after negotiations with the city broke down today. 

Demonstrators plan on challenging the eviction in court.

 

 

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.

 

RELATED:

Police Re-Raid Occupy Oakland

Occupy L.A. Live

Protestors to Occupy Rose Parade

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