Hundreds Of OWS Protesters, NYPD Clash In Union Square Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- At least eight people were arrested and several injured, including two police officers, in a clash between Occupy Wall Street protesters and police at Union Square Park on Wednesday.
Demonstrators with the Occupy Wall Street movement are now calling Union Square their new home base after a dramatic and sometimes violent face-off between police and protesters stretched into the early morning hours.
1010 WINS' Juliet Papa reports
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Protesters have been gathering at Union Square since Saturday when they were booted from Zucotti Park while celebrating the six month anniversary of the movement.
Since then, they've been calling for Police Commissioner Ray Kelly's resignation after the weekend arrests of 73 people.
But around midnight Wednesday, police in riot gear marched in to dismantle the demonstration, citing a 1.m. park curfew. That's when, protesters say, things turns violent as police and protesters clashed.
One woman, an Occupy medic, says she was injured after being thrown to the ground and trampled.
"I was thrown over an officer who was bending down. I hit the back of my head, I have a concussion," said Maria Tardif.
Five hours later, Tardif was back at Union Square and once again, says she was caught up in a scuffle with police, this time on crutches and still wearing a hospital bracelet.
But protesters say efforts to shut down their demonstrations only strengthens their resolve to keep fighting.
"We will go to a different park and make them kick us out of there, then we'll go to different park and make them kick us out of there and it's going to continue," said protester Jack Amico. "There are thousands of public spaces that are open to the public in New York City and we intend to utilize them."
There are several demonstrations planned at Union Square for Wednesday afternoon and evening and protesters are planning to spend the night there, once again.
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