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DON’T FENCE US IN! With a hand from his fellow demonstrators, a protester upends Police Department barricades at Zuccotti Park yesterday. (William Farrington)
BLUE-WALLED OFF: Police officers scuffle with protesters yesterday in Zuccotti Park, where the demonstrators had launched their march to the stock exchange and regrouped after failing to reach it. (AP)
Occupy Wall Street protesters, at times numbering in the thousands, selfishly made life miserable yesterday for the working stiffs whose jobs they claim to be protecting — blocking buildings, clashing with police and causing a traffic nightmare at the height of the evening rush hour.
But the demonstrations — part of the movement’s “Day of Action’’ — ultimately failed to accomplish their goals of crippling the New York Stock Exchange and shutting down subway lines and the Brooklyn Bridge.
“Occupy Wall Street had predicted . . . that tens of thousands of people would be participating in today’s protests, but there have been far fewer, and so far, they have caused I think what can accurately be described as minimal disruptions to our city,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “The stock exchange opened on time this morning, and the rest of the city has been business as usual.”
OWS’s biggest achievement seemed to be getting roughed up by the army of cops in riot gear who outmatched the lawless mob at every turn. Police arrested about 250 protesters during a series of tense standoffs from Wall Street to Union Square that sent seven officers to the hospital.
Protesters ended the day by strolling across the Brooklyn Bridge on the pedestrian walkway — most avoiding arrest, but prompting a heavy police response that backed up traffic across lower Manhattan for hours.
That type of arrogant behavior was the theme throughout the chaotic day:
* The at-times violent masses flicked lit cigarettes and batteries at cops, splashed five in the face with vinegar, and injured two others with a broken bottle and another projectile. The police response was swift and brutal, with many innocent bystanders caught up.
* The plan to Occupy the Subways largely fizzled. The only disruptions were preventative measures initiated by the police, including the evening-rush closure of some entrances to the Chambers Street station.
* Cops confiscated a dozen metal devices that the protesters had planned to use to lock themselves together in front of Wall Street businesses. They still managed to block the entrances to some downtown buildings.
* At 6 p.m., 99 protesters — many of them union activists — were arrested for blocking traffic on Park Row while wearing purple beanies and white T-shirts that said “99 percent” on the front and “Fighting for a city that works for all.” Among those arrested was George Gresham, president of 1199 SEIU, and Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams.
Bloomberg, who visited the injured officers at Bellevue Hospital with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, again defended the protesters’ right to free speech while warning that lawbreakers will keep getting arrested.
“Make no mistake about it, if anyone’s actions cross the line . . . we will respond accordingly,” he said. “Those that break the law or assault other people, particularly our first responders, are going to be arrested.”
Most New Yorkers have clearly had enough of the ragtag mob, with many heckling them from open windows and even confronting them on the street.
“These anarchists are turning the city into a circus. I applaud the actions of the NYPD. Enough is enough,” fumed Matt Abrams, 38, a Wall Street trader. “I was held up for a good 30 minutes this morning. It’s an inconvenience for everybody. Real work gets done down here.”
The chaos began at about 7 a.m. with protesters massing at Zuccotti Park, which had been home to their filth-ridden tent city until their eviction Tuesday.
The chanting mob marched toward the NYSE about an hour later, but was met by hundreds of riot-gear clad cops.
The situation grew increasingly tense as demonstrators tried to block sidewalks and streets and refused cops’ orders to disperse.
At one point, a large group chanting, “Take the bull! Take the bull!” sat down at William and Pine streets while others tried to jump barricades that separated them from the stock exchange.
Cops quickly moved in and made about 60 arrests. Protesters were restrained with zip ties and brought by the busload to One Police Plaza and later to Central Booking in Queens.
Inside the stock exchange, the opening bell sounded and it was “business as usual,” said NYSE spokesman Ray Pellechia.
But many furious Wall Street workers said they had been late to their desks because they had to push through the menacing mob and show cops their IDs to get to work.
“I don’t understand their logic,” said Adam Lieberman, as he struggled to navigate police barricades on his way to work at JPMorgan Chase. “When you go into business, you go into business to make as much money as you can. And that’s what banks do. They’re trying to make a profit.”
After the arrests, the protesters retreated north along Broadway near Trinity Church and eventually went back to Zuccotti Park.
The cops quickly sealed off the park, and numerous scuffles broke out as they battled the rowdy demonstrators.
Brandon Watts, 20, threw a pen and triple-A battery at cops, authorities said. He then grabbed a hat off a deputy inspector, and when cops chased after him — and in the process of resisting arrest — he hit his head on the ground, police said. Watts, who has been arrested four other times during OWS protests, was treated at, but not admitted to, Bellevue Hospital and charged with attempted assault, grand larceny and resisting arrested.
In another scuffle, one officer who was about to arrest a man for dismantling a barricade suffered a slashed wrist when an unidentified nutjob threw a broken bottle.
Officer Matthew Walters, 24, received 20 stitches to his left hand at Bellevue.
And Cynthia Wilson, 20, of Brooklyn, was charged with assault for allegedly throwing a substance, believed to be vinegar, at cops.
“All five officers had the liquid flushed out, both at the scene and [when] they went to the hospital. They’ve been treated and released,” Kelly said.
Clashes continued as protesters marched down Broadway from Union Square and tied up traffic as they crossed 14th Street. They returned to Foley Square at about 5 p.m. before going to Brooklyn.
Throughout the day, NYPD brass sent out the following message: “All members of service captain and below please report in uniform to the auditorium except those on modified duty.”
At One Police Plaza, a giant screen showed live footage from the protests as officers waited to start their shifts.
About 200 protesters returned to Zuccotti Park at about 8 p.m. for a “general assembly.”
Additional reporting by Lachlan Cartwright, Larry Celona and Jamie Schram