Friends,

 

It would seem to an outsider that the occupation in Newark served its purpose as a visible presence to highlight the injustices in society.  However, this band of brothers and sisters should continue to organize and engage in direct action and to work with established organizations.

 

Kagiso,

 

Max

 

February 15, 2012

Police Evict Occupy Newark Protesters

By TIM STELLOH

NEWARK — Authorities swept in shortly after midnight Wednesday and ended what appeared to be a relatively harmonious co-existence between the city of Newark and its occupiers.

At Military Park, the site of Occupy Newark, about two dozen police officers and fire fighters disassembled what was left of the movement’s encampment and loaded much of into the back of a city truck: more than a dozen tents, a canopy, a sofa, pallets, blankets and other items.

Deputy Chief Tracy Glover of the Newark Police Department told protesters that if they did not have a permit that allowed them to be in the park after a 9 p.m. curfew, they had to leave immediately. By 1:30 a.m., most of the site had been removed. No arrests were made, although about a dozen protesters in the park taunted the officers as they worked.

“Carjackings are up 62 percent, but the tents are down,” said Teacher Iovino, 43. At its height, Occupy Newark was a cluster of tents that included a kitchen and an information area. About 30 people stayed overnight at the encampment, most of which was set up in November, and 50 to 60 people would be there during the day, said Anthony Batalla, 20, who has been there since November.

The eviction marked a shift in the city’s approach to the protesters. In November, the city’s police chief agreed to waive a permit required to assemble in Military Park. Mayor Cory A. Booker brought them doughnuts and coffee. A municipal councilman stayed there overnight, said one protester, Ibraheem Awadallah, 27.

Last Tuesday, the city sent a letter to the encampment, said Cass Zang, 42, who has been coming there since November.

“It said that they’ve decided not to continue lifting the ban” on the curfew, Ms. Zang said, paraphrasing the note. “It said, ‘Respectfully, we appreciate working together, but this is over.’”

© 2011 The New York Times Company

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/

 

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs