Protesters March To Brooklyn Bridge; Subway Fears Don't Materialize
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Occupy Wall Street's "Day of Action" slowed down Thursday night, hours after a large numbers of protesters headed from Union Square to Foley Square before heading to the Brooklyn Bridge.
At the entrance to the bridge, a symbolic stand -- 99 people sat in the street and were quickly arrested. They, however, were the only ones.
1010 WINS' Al Jones Reports
Podcast
As thousands flexed their message while crossing the city's iconic landmark, they flashed signs and summoned the support of those traveling below, CBS 2' s Sean Hennessey reported.
As the trek continued, so did the peacefulness of it all. Police were ready in case anyone jumped onto the road, much like they did just a month ago when the bridge was flooded with protesters. But Thursday night, they occupied just the walking path, and never challenged police.
Earlier, CBS 2's Lou Young described the atmosphere inside Foley Square as "peaceful and festive." Protesters also told Young that much of the violence and incidents that were highlighted from earlier in the day obscured the message of the movement.
Chopper 2 HD was keeping an eye on protesters as they marched toward Foley Square being shadowed by police officers on scooters. The police were trying to ensure that protesters stayed on the sidewalks and off of the streets.
Despite some widespread fears of protesters severely disrupting the New York City transit system, nothing of the sort transpired. Protesters said they had no intention of disrupting subway service.
The group "99 New York" said they will be holding "subway speakouts." According to the group, the speakouts will consist of unemployed and underemployed people telling their stories in the subway system.
"The Mayor's office has been characterizing the Subway speakouts as an attempt to 'shut down' the subways. THIS IS FALSE. The Subway speakouts will not involve any attempt to disrupt subway operations," the group said in a press release.
The clarification came after dozens of arrests in lower Manhattan at the beginning of Occupy Wall Street's "Day of Action."
About 250 people were arrested on Thursday and seven police officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators.
Share your thoughts in the comments section...
