Continuing Protests At Zuccotti Park Bring New Problems

It seems that the NYPD is being kept busy, not with the protests themselves, but by crimes in and among some of the protesters.

Two days after a man accused of assaulting three female protesters in Zuccotti Park was arrested, some friends of his threatened to kill the woman who had filed the complaint that led to the arrest, the police said on Tuesday.

One of the men accused of making the threats, Hasan Castillo, 23, of East Orange, N.J., was arrested Tuesday night.

The police said one of the men told the woman: “You had our friend arrested — we’re going to kill you. Watch your back.” The men are being sought for witness intimidation.

The initial assault occurred on Saturday, when Garfield Leslie, 19, of Brooklyn tried to sell cocaine to protesters, than attacked the three women, one of whom fell and broke her wrist and another of whom suffered a cut lip, the police said. He was arrested later that night.

By and large, the protesters have been trying to keep out the criminal element, but since anyone can join the protests and camp at the park, people who have no connections to the protests can fill in - including homeless and other less savory characters.

Yesterday, I saw a minor spat between a couple of protesters over placement of tents within the park - complaining that they were taking up space meant for someone else. I was also noticing that some of the flower beds are now getting trampled as those with tents are taking up more space within the park, and those in sleeping bags are being pushed off towards the raised planting beds along the side of the park. Police have also cordoned off the area surrounding the sculpture that some yahoo climbed over the weekend. That area had been a gathering/focus point for protesters along Broadway.

I should have new photos/video posted later today.

UPDATE:
As promised, here are the photos:

The drum circle group along Church Street.

Captured for your attention.

These were plastered in several places around Zuccotti Park, and relate to the Obama Administration's Secure Communities program and illegal aliens.

Food prep under the tents.

Among the issues: hydrofracking, medicare for all, and health care, as well as outsourcing of jobs (apparently by Verizon).

The tents at Zuccotti Park.

Protesting the war on workers near the corner of Broadway and Liberty.

The protests aren't complete without the usual crazy conspiracy theorists. This  is another one of the cranks out to sue Johnson and Johnson.

Another view of the drummers in Zuccotti Park making a racket.

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