Occupy Wall Street protesters recognized their movement’s one year anniversary on Monday by attempting to disrupt rush hour traffic in Manhattan’s financial district. Launching their march from Zucotti Park, the site that gained international attention for the group’s months long controversial encampment of it, around 1000 OWS protesters walked toward the New York Stock Exchange.
The New York City Police officers were out in greater numbers around the financial district since at least Sunday and managed to keep protesters from clogging both pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Protesters taunted at New York City morning foot traffic, “You’re not going to work today.” Marchers also shouted at the NYPD with accusations that law enforcement was disrupting traffic. Arrests were made as protesters neared the NYSE and law enforcement officers formed a blockade forcing the OWS protest to turn their march southward toward Battery Park.
NYPD chief spokesman Paul Browne told the Wall Street Journal that by 12:15 pm, 124 arrests were made. Further arrests were made in front of a Bank of America branch near Zucotti Park later in the afternoon.
