The Occupy Wall Street movement, whose members are protesting a variety of issues stemming from the current economic climate including foreclosures and high unemployment, tried to cross the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, October 1, 2011, afternoon in protest. Over 700 protestors were arrested when they left the walkway and began using the roadway.
There is a lot of controversy regarding whether or not the arrests were legitimate. Protestors believe the police tricked them and caused the arrests. Protestors are blaming the police for the arrests by allowing protestors to enter the roadway and escorting them part of the way across the bridge before trapping them in orange netting. One protestor, Etan Ben-Ami was quoted as saying, "It seemed completely permitted....There wasn't a single policeman saying 'don't do this'...We thought they were escorting us because they wanted us to be safe."
However, police are saying it was the protestors' choice of action that led to the arrests. Those who used the walkway were not arrested while those who took to the roadway and hindered vehicle travel were arrested. Paul J. Browne, the chief spokesman for the New York Police Department, has said "This was not a trap...They were warned not to proceed."
In connected demonstrations in other parts of the country, 25 people were arrested in Boston for trespassing while protesting Bank of America's foreclosure practices, according to the spokesman for the Boston Police Department Eddy Chrispin. The protesters were on the property and obstructing the entrance to the building.
The Occupy Wall Street movement seems to be gathering steam and drawing more media coverage with each passing day. If you are facing a Florida Foreclosure Lawsuit, contact a Jacksonville Foreclosure Lawyer or a Florida Foreclosure Defense Lawyer today to determine what foreclosure alternatives may be available to you.
