World News | Police in Riot Gear Clear NYC's 'Occupy City Hall' Camp
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. Police in riot gear moved in early Wednesday to clear a month-long encampment of protesters and homeless people from a park near New York's City Hall.
New York, Jul 22 (AP) Police in riot gear moved in early Wednesday to clear a month-long encampment of protesters and homeless people from a park near New York's City Hall.
A line of officers with helmets and shields entered City Hall Park shortly before 4 a.m. and forced the remaining people who were camped there out. At least seven people were arrested. Charges were pending.
The encampment in City Hall Park started last month forming following weeks of protests sparked by the May death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.
The “Occupy City Hall” protest was part of a national “defund the police” movement seeking to redirect funds from policing to community needs like housing and education.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, had resisted calls to move the protesters out of the park that adjoins the historic building where he works.
Asked about it Tuesday, de Blasio cited “a balance we always strike between the right to protest and especially public safety.” He added, “That decision will be made by the NYPD as things emerge. We're looking at the situation every day. But again, I think we look at the specific facts of what's going on and then decisions will be made day by day." (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)