See also Occupy Wall Street Document: The Court Decision on Protests in Liberty Square
Occupy Wall Street (and Beyond) LiveStream: Police Move on Liberty Park in New York
Occupy Wall Street 1st-Hand: "All Around Me, Peaceful Protesters Were Being Pepper-Sprayed and Zip-Cuffed"
After Tuesday's early-morning eviction by New York City police and a day of shifting court decisions, ending with the verdict that demonstrators can meet in Zuccotti/Liberty Square but cannot bring in tents and tarps, protesters returned to the park last night.
A first-hand report gives a flavour of a movement which, despite the legal setback, feels like it has re-gained energy with this week's developments:
First they tried to divert the trains from taking people [to Liberty Square]....That was fun.
We met a woman on the train who came with us to the GA [General Assembly].
The park is now fenced in by barricades and the police monitor who comes in and out. You cannot enter if you are carrying items that they deem to be too large, and they are filming people.
But a lot of people came out tonight.
Hundreds of people who are still determined to work hard and to rebuild.
Trinity Church is letting OWS use their property to prepare food for everyone.
We all talked together and passed food around while the cops stood by and watched us.
It was empowering. It was energizing. People figuring out solutions together. Breaking bread.
This attack on us has given us even more momentum, even more drive.
So I thank you, NYPD and Mayor Bloomberg, for giving us yet another burst of energy, and for growing the support for this movement amongst the people. Every time you try to beat us, we just get stronger. So thanks.
You can’t stop this.
A medical facility and kitchen had already been set up, and the "People's Library" had dozens of books, replacing the more than 5000 that were confiscated by police on Tuesday morning.
Sully Ross, a carpenter, told the crowd, “We can’t fill this park with tents right now, but we can still fill it with our energy. We can fill it with our bodies and we can fill it with our ideas....We’re declaring this night a night of celebration and a night of planning.”
Another protester added, “We must...recognise our strength. If you lost a little bit of spirit yesterday you're in the right place to get some of it back."