Occupiers in Union Square Stormed in Late Night Raid

3/21: Union Square's occupation, active since the brutal NYPD police raid on Liberty Square on 3/17, is currently under threat of eviction. People are needed NOW to converge on the park and hold our public commons! Follow @OWSUnionSquare.

Live updates

• 6:07 AM: Park officially re-opened.
• 5:20 AM: via Twitter: ¨The NYPD have officially fled the scene of their crime.¨ Tonight, at least four people were arrested, books needlessly destroyed, and one woman knocked unconscious by police brutality -- all for the ¨crime¨ of laying down in a public park.
• 4:37 AM: Most police appear to be leaving in advance of the arrival of rush hour traffic when public wakes up. Occupiers return to park, laying down again. Chanting ¨goodbye!¨ at NYPD.
• 4:21 AM: Mainstream media on the scene. The District Attorney has also arrived. Union Square still blocked off. Police still moving Occupiers incrementally to allow sanitation to ¨clean¨ the park. Occupiers being slowly pushed out of the park. Occupier: ¨I really thought the police were going to be chill tonight about this. They were calm and rational earlier. Then they bumrush us, throw girl with head trauma around....¨
• 4:19 AM: Occupier: ¨The rest of the country is going to see this in the morning!¨ Chant: ¨Oppress us, we multiply!¨
• 4:10 AM: Heard on livestream: ¨Wake up [NYPD]; six months of beatings and we´re still here! We´re not going anywhere!¨
• 4:07 AM: Chanting: ¨You have no authority¨ at NYPD; ¨1 we are the people 2 we are united, 3 this occupation is not leaving!¨ Police officer seen with hand on pistol. Other police steal Occupier´s books and throw them away.
• 4:04 AM: EMT and medics approach woman knocked unconscious by police. Cops aggressively storm them, brutally rush into crowd, trample people, causing panic. People screaming. Peaceful protesters are being ATTACKED because they tried to give professional medical attention for head trauma! Injured woman was stepped on.
• 3:56 AM: Police rush the crowd, shoving and attacking people. Livestream briefly down, back up now. At least one person reported badly injured, now unconscious, after being grabbed and thrown to the ground by cops. Medics on the scene.
• 3:48 AM: Police surround protesters on the ground, move in to make arrests.
• 3:43 AM: Sanitation trucks have arrived, threatening to take possession of any unattended property. Police again threaten anyone who is sitting or laying down. OWSers chant: ¨Homeslessness is not a crime!¨ and ¨Get your hand off your gun!¨ at police who motioned to draw a weapon.
• 3:22 AM: Police warn anyone else laying down will be arrested. Sitting down is illegal. Mic check: ¨Let´s move the People´s Library somewhere safer¨
• 3:14 AM: Line of police, some in riot gear, confront protesters singing Solidarity Forever. According to @OccuyWallStNYC: ¨"So, the park will be open at 6am and they can all go back in?" asks one NYPD captain. "Yup" says the other.¨
• 3:01 AM:: Police just made an arrest. Threatening other Occupiers for sitting on the sidewalk.
• 3:00 AM: Police still harassing people in the Square. Livestream is still up. Protesters chanting "we get confused when the law changes everyday.¨ Presence of counter-terrorism officials confirmed, won´t give name.
• 2:47 AM: Occupiers peacefully singing and laying down. Remember, donuts.
• 2:30 AM: Occupiers asking NYPD: ¨What are your demands? How long will you be occupying?¨ Large cuddle pile on the south side of the park.
• 2:09 AM: We will not be divided, we will not be provoked. Chants of "BAD COP? NO DONUT", and other assorted silliness. Most NYPD officers unable to hold composure and are smirking.
• 2:02 AM: Donut has been put at the end of a string, string has been tied to the end of a stick. Occupier is using stick to dangle donut over barricades. There are chants of "This is a peaceful donut". Occupiers keeping the mood one of joy and celebration.
• 1:59 AM: Pizza has arrived, occupiers simply sleeping on sidewalk.
• 1:24 AM: NYPD officers look bored. They are shown shifting around, fidgeting, etc.
• 1:22 AM: Situation is somewhat calm, standoff in park. Need more people to park.
• 1:16 AM: Sanitation workers "cleaning" the park. These are some of the most well-defended sanitation workers in history.
• 1:03 AM: Sanitation workers have arrived, NYPD appears to have run out of barricades and are bringing in wooden sawhorse style barricades.
• 12:52 AM: Badge #5647 put her hand in front of a badged press camera, turned around when asked for a badge number.
• 12:48 AM: NYPD has begun carrying in barricades to barricade off the park.
• 12:36 AM: Occupiers are holding general assembly just outside park steps.
• 12:28 AM: Occupiers have once again begun chanting "Who do you serve, who do you protect?" NYPD threatening violence in the form of saying "I don't want nobody to get hurt."
• 12:25 AM: First arrest has been made. Officers trying to physically force people further away from their public property.
• 12:22 AM: Officer on megaphone announcing to leave the park. Need more people to park, wake up your friends, wake up your family.
• 12:13 AM: Lone occupier left sitting on a crate inside park, surrounded by line of riot NYPD. Who do you call when the police are rioting? Tim reports NYPD Conterterrorism arriving. Ambulance arriving for pregnant woman.
• 12:11 AM: 20 more NYPD have arrived in riot gear from behind the park. Occupiers shouting "remember your oath" at NYPD.
• 12:10 AM: NYPD repeating false claim that the public park is "closed". Estimates are 70 NYPD officers.
• 12:05 AM: NYPD has shut down the Union Square subway station. NYPD claims occupiers can stay on sidewalk.
• 12:04 AM: Occupiers chanting "Who do you serve? Who do you protect?"