Brookfield reversed its decision to clear the park because it was intimidated by elected officials who are siding with the protestors, an angry Mayor Bloomberg said today.
“My understanding is Brookfield got lots of calls from many elected officials, threatening them and saying if you don’t stop this we’ll make your life more difficult,” the mayor said on his weekly radio show.
PROTESTERS STORM WALL ST. AFTER CLEANUP POSTPONED
“If those elected officials had spent half as much time trying to promote the city to get jobs to come here we would a lot more ways towards answering the concerns of the protestors.
“I’m told they were inundated by lots of elected officials…”
The mayor said he didn’t know which elected officials applied the pressure.
On Thursday, numerous officials — including Rep. Jerry Nadler and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer — stepped forward to demand that Brookfield and the city try to work out a voluntary resolution of the month-long sleep-in.
Clearly upset by Brookfield’s cave-in, the mayor warned that it would be tougher for the NYPD to act next time.
“I’ve asked what would happen if they cannot (reach a deal). The answer I got was they would want to go ahead and do exactly what they were going to do this morning,” he said.
“From our point of view, it will be a little bit harder, I think, at that point in time to provide police protection. But we have the greatest police department in the world and will do what is necessary.”
Brookfield officials called the city at midnight to ask for the postponement, saying they wanted to see if they could work out an agreement with the protestors.
“I’m not sure what that means,” said the mayor. “There has to be some resolution eventually.”