Sam Levin

Goldi, left, and Alphonzo Terrell, 29, with Occupy Guitarmy, in Tompkins Square Park this afternoon.

You can't arrest a song!

That's part of the idea behind one faction of a large network of demonstrations and protests planned for May Day -- the day of action this Tuesday that some suspect will push Occupy Wall Street into the spotlight again in a major way.

The group Occupy Guitarmy has actions planned all day Tuesday and held a rehearsal this afternoon for anyone who wanted to show up in Tompkins Square Park.

We thought we'd stop by and chat with some of the folks behind this portion of OWS and May Day to hear what their goals are for Tuesday.

More »

C.S. Muncy

Zuccotti Park last month.

A judge has ruled not to dismiss charges against a protester who is at the center of an ongoing court battle surrounding the legality of the famous shutdown of Zuccotti Park at the peak of Occupy Wall Street's demonstrations in November.

This latest decision sets the stage for a contentious trial this spring where opposing sides will debate what actually happened on November 15th when police raided OWS and removed all protesters from Zuccotti Park, which is a privately-owned public space.

It's a pretty complex legal fight, but here's a quick recap: The New York Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of a protester named Ronny Nunez, has argued that Brookfield Properties, the park's private owners, had no legal right to kick everyone out of the park, which is zoned as a public space that must be accessible all day. The private owners, with the support of the city, have argued that Brookfield can implement rules and regulations and that it rightfully -- and only temporarily -- removed people from the park due to safety hazards tied to the campsites OWS had set up.

More »

City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, talking to reporters about his arrest back in November.

Turns out City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez was not "resisting arrest" or "obstructing governmental administration" on the day of the infamous clearing of Zuccotti Park in November when the New York Police Department raided Occupy Wall Street at the height of its protests.

Or at least those charges have been dropped -- nearly five months after he was first arrested.

Rodriguez, who represents parts of Upper Manhattan and has become a loud voice for Occupy Wall Street, was arrested on November 15th in the dramatic early morning eviction of OWS's camp city in Zuccotti Park.

More »

C.S. Muncy

Occupy Wall Street in Zuccotti Park earlier this month.

​On Monday, we reported on the developing court battle surrounding the famous eviction of protesters from Zuccotti Park in November -- an important legal case that is moving forward just as Occupy Wall Street resurfaces in full force with the arrival of spring.

And late yesterday, the Voice received some new documents in the legal battle, which is headed to court tomorrow.

The case is centered around Ronny Nunez, a demonstrator who was arrested in Zuccotti on November 15th after he allegedly refused to leave the park when the campsite was evicted at the request of Brookfield Properties -- the private owners of the public park.

Last week, the city filed an amicus brief in Criminal Court arguing that the property owners have a legal right to restrict activity in the park and temporarily kick people out if things get out of hand.

More »

Sam Levin

Mayor Mike Bloomberg responding to reporters' questions this morning.

​Mike Bloomberg agrees with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who hopes to replace him as mayor in 2013: Public spaces like Zuccotti Park should fall under the jurisdiction of the city's Parks Department and not private owners.

Commenting on the ongoing debate around the rights of Occupy Wall Street protesters to demonstrate in plazas like Zuccotti Park -- a public space that is privately-owned -- Bloomberg today said he thought Quinn proposed a great idea last week.

Quinn, who has generally been cautious in her comments on OWS, said last week that there might be less confusion and tensions around the protests at Zuccotti if the city's Parks Department uniform rules were in place.

More »

C.S. Muncy

Zuccotti Park, re-occupied this month.

​While those following Occupy Wall Street have their eyes focused on the resurgence of action this month, few have been following a legal case dating back to the famous November eviction at Zuccotti Park -- a case which the city is now commenting on through a brief it filed in the courts last week.

Two weekends ago, OWS demonstrators re-occupied Zuccotti park, prompting intense clashes with police and large numbers of arrests. The movement has now found itself in Union Square -- a different park, with similar police-protester tensions.

The mayor has repeatedly said that the police tactics are appropriate and that arrests will continue as needed.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Voice learned of some new developments in a New York Civil Liberties Union case going after Brookfield Properties, which we first reported on in February.

More »

C.S. Muncy

Occupy Wall Street in Zuccotti Park on Saturday.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is expected to run for mayor in 2013, spoke out this morning about the resurgence of Occupy Wall Street, suggesting that the city may want to rethink how it oversees public park spaces.

Quinn, as Capital noted this morning, has generally been cautious about expressing her opinion on Occupy Wall Street. She has frequently aligned herself with the Mayor Mike Bloomberg's politics -- though has also recently tried to distance herself from him as she gears up for her mayoral bid.

More »

C.S. Muncy

Occupy Wall Street protests on Saturday at Zuccotti Park.

Mayor Mike Bloomberg has a solution for the tense police-protester relationship at Occupy Wall Street: barricades.

At a press conference this morning, the mayor, responding to reporters' repeated questions about the arrests of more than 70 occupiers over the weekend, said that the New York Police Department was simply controlling a rowdy crowd, legally using barricades to stop them from camping out in Zuccotti Park, and protecting the protesters' rights to demonstrate.

"Just trying to cause chaos doesn't do anything to advance anybody's cause. It doesn't make society better," Bloomberg told reporters. "If you have something really to say that would be a great contribution, nobody can hear you when everybody's yelling and screaming and pushing and shoving. But it makes great theater."

More »

Nick Pinto

As protesters cleared out of Zuccotti Park at the close of Saturday's Occupy Wall Street action Nick Pinto reported that police and private security guards from Brookfield Properties -- the owners of Zuccotti Park -- unlocked metal barricades to close up the plaza. In response, protesters yelled "What you're doing is illegal!" in reference to zoning regulations that deem the metal barricades unlawful. According to Buildings Department expediter Richard Nagan and members of the National Lawyers Guild, the protesters were right. "Totally illegal," Nagan told Runnin' Scared. "The zoning resolution and the special permit call for the plaza to be open 24 hours a day 7 days a week."

More »

via Nick Pinto

Though the St. Patrick's Day Parade might be the most high-profile march of the day uptown, downtown Occupy Wall Street is marking their six-month anniversary with a march that takes protesters back to the financial district and, specifically, the place where the movement began: Zuccotti Park (a.k.a. Liberty Plaza). The Voice's reporter Nick Pinto is on the scene, where he tell tells us that interactions with police are getting tense. At 2:29 p.m. he tweeted: "Reporters closer to the action say at least half a dozen arrested. #OWS #M17" You can follow him on for live updates.

More »