Occupy protesters say morning was ‘cat and mouse’
Steve Chiotakis: In New York, law enforcement moved in early this morning to clear out campers at privately-owned Zuccotti Park, saying the area needed to be cleaned. Protesters went to court to be allowed to return, and a hearing on that is scheduled sometime today.
David Scorca is a filmmaker and protester. He was around the site most of the night, and he’s with us now. Hey David.
David Scorca: How you doing?
Chiotakis: What’s it like down there right now, and as you saw a lot of these protesters moving away from Zuccotti Park?
Scorca: When I was there, the police had blocked off the area surrounding Zuccotti Park — about a three block radius. And from there, protesters were broken up into smaller groups of about 100-300 people each.
My group happened to decide to march towards City Hall, and marched to Foley Square where we were surrounded by police. And then it was kind of a cat-and-mouse chase for the rest of the night.
Chiotakis: What do you think this eviction has done to your cause? Do you think — you said people dispersed into different groups — or do you think it’s giving you more resolve?
Scorca: You know, I think that anytime the police take action against this protest — repressing free speech, things like that — it’s going to definitely bolster the movement.
Chiotakis: So now that everybody’s been cleared out of Zuccotti Park, David, what are you going to do next?
Scorca: You know, I’m hoping that every night they try to occupy a new park, or at least keep pushing to get back into Zuccotti. So I think that’s the next big move. Otherwise it’s just keeping the pressure on
Chiotakis: David Scorca is in New York and one of the protesters there at the Occupy Wall Street movement. David, thank you so much.
Scorca: Thank you.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
