Occupying Wall Street, November 15, 2011

“Occupying Wall Street, November 15, 2011” Officers DeJesus (left) and Rivera (right). On the evening of November 14, the NYPD moved to clear Zuccotti Park and disperse the protesters. They lit the Park with flood lights from helicopters circling above and had sanitation trucks fitted with snow plows bulldozed the site while police dragged people from their tents, often beating them along the way with batons. The press corps was not allowed at the site. The police had the press positioned behind barricades in a “pen” a few blocks away. The next day, the 15th, the Park was occupied by Police and thousands of protesters circled the park. There was a squadron of riot police waiting across the street standing in neat rows with helmets, body armor, and clear plastic shields. These two officers surveyed the scene from the northwest corner of the park (Liberty and Broadway). Officer Rivera is with TARU, a little-known division of the NYPD. TARU stands for “Technical Assistance Research Unit.” They collect intelligence, conduct surveillance, and provide support for other units of the NYPD.