Cops are bracing for another face-off with Occupy Wall Street demonstrators today — the first anniversary of the occupation of Zuccotti Park.
Hundreds of cops were planning to assemble at key downtown intersections at 3 a.m. to keep traffic moving and allow workers to get to their jobs.
Marchers set to dress as endangered polar bears, the rich “1 percent,” and Captain Planet plan to block Wall Street intersections starting at 7 a.m. to delay the NYSE opening bell, according to OWS Web sites.
One OWS site calls for protesters to “Help build the People’s Wall!” on the intersection of Wall Street and Broadway — and suggests wearing suits or business-casual clothing to blend in.
Protesters said yesterday that they expect violence.
“There will be a lot of violence from the police. A lot of us are going to be arrested,” said Christopher Wells, 30. “If I’m arrested I’ll do it over and over again because I believe in this movement.”
Matt Parica, 18, of New Jersey, said, “You are going to have a couple of bad apples — people who want to riot and break things. Ninety percent of the cops are probably good people.
“The other ten percent are beating people up and pepper-spraying them.”
Protesters marched from the Meatpacking District to Foley Square yesterday afternoon. There were two arrests yesterday for disorderly conduct. There were 42 arrests Saturday and early yesterday.