NYC authorities trying to freeze out OWS?

by 99%

 

RT

With the temperatures in New York plummeting toward freezing and snowfall predicted, city authorities removed six power generators and several dozen canisters of fuel from Occupy Wall Street protesters camped out in Zuccotti Park.

On Friday, more than 20 police and fire department officials entered the encampment and demanded that the protesters turn over anything that could be considered a fire hazard, citing safety concerns. That included even vegetable oil for cooking.

As RT’s Lucy Kafanov reports, many activists feel that it is a convenient way for city officials to crackdown on the movement and freeze them out as temperatures continue to drop.

Watch: Snow Falls at Zuccotti Park Saturday Morning: TheOther99

BusinessWeek

Earlier in the day, in what OWS demonstrators saw as a clear attempt to freeze them out, the New York fire department removed gasoline cans and generators from Zuccotti Park — just as forecasts call for snow over the weekend. Mayor Michael Bloomberg (the founder and majority owner of our parent, Bloomberg LP) cited safety concerns on his weekly radio program. Mark Bray, an OWS spokesman, told Bloomberg News the action was “a pretext to make the protest less sustainable and more difficult for us.” He said the group has about 14 fire extinguishers to handle any safety issues.

CBS

Bloomberg, speaking on his weekly show on WOR Radio, said the protesters can stay as long as they obey the law. But he added: “Quality of life is something that we worry about.”

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