Πηγή: CNN
Oct 28 2011
New York (CNN) -- Authorities in lower Manhattan removed propane tanks and generators from Zuccotti park on Friday, raising the stakes for Wall Street demonstrators as the weather turns cold, just as officials around the country push for more strict control of the loosely defined movement.
"It came to our attention cans of gasoline and generators were in the park, these are fire hazards (and) against the law," New York Mayor Michal Bloomberg said on his weekly WOR-AM radio show.
Bloomberg said up to 40 fire fighters removed six generators and several gasoline cans early Friday morning.
"Our first concern is safety," the mayor said, though demonstrators describe the move as an attempt to restrict Internet use and make their lives more difficult as a cold front rolls in.
The move comes one day after a California mayor apologized for violence against demonstrators that saw them tear gassed and an Iraqi war veteran hospitalized.
Marine veteran Scott Olsen suffered a skull fracture Tuesday night after allegedly being struck by a tear gas canister in Oakland, California, according to witnesses.
"I am the mayor, and I take responsible for those that were hurt," said Oakland Mayor Jean Quan.
The former Marine has become another rallying cry for the Occupy Wall Street protests spreading throughout the country.
He has been listed in fair condition in the intensive care unit at Highland Hospital, according to hospital spokesman Curt Olsen.
The demonstrators in New York, meanwhile, are scheduled to march on the offices of five major banks and financial-services firms in Manhattan on Friday.
Organizers say thousands of demonstrators will march to the offices of Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase.
They have typically railed against what they describe as corporate greed, arrogance and power, as well as their assertion that the nation's wealthiest 1% hold inordinate sway over the remaining 99% of the population.
In Nashville, Tennessee, authorities said Occupy Nashville participants are now required to have permits, while also restricting the times during which they are allowed to gather.
In Atlanta, police arrested demonstrators at a downtown park overnight on Tuesday. The arrests came after Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said he sent ministers to the park "to see if we can find a way to resolve this amicably."
Reed told CNN affiliate WSB that concerns were increased when a man in the park was seen with an assault rifle. "We could not determine whether the weapon was loaded and could not get additional information on the weapon," he said.
Authorities ordered people to leave the park around midnight Tuesday, WSB said, going from tent to tent with flashlights. Arrests began taking place about 12:45 a.m
Civil rights leader Joe Beasley later spoke to the demonstrators, telling them that he fears the work of Martin Luther King Jr. is being threatened.
"We see now a world that is more polarized than ever," Beasley said in a video posted online. "The rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer."
The movement does not appear to be losing steam despite crackdowns in several cities.
Authorities made a series of arrests at protests in Oakland and Atlanta on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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