A New York Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that while Occupy Wall Street protesters will be allowed to return to Zuccotti park, they may not do so with tents and sleeping bags. The Lower Manhattan park has been home to the movement for almost two months, and has spawned similar demonstrations around the country and the world. The occupation of Zuccotti park was challenged Tuesday, when police in riot gear moved in around 1 a.m. and cleared out protesters.
Justice Michael Stallman ruled in favor of city officials and Brookfield Properties, the park’s owner, citing health and sanitation concerns. He said that while protests and demonstrations may continue, it must be without “their tents, structures, generators, and other installations to the exclusion of the owner’s reasonable rights and duties to maintain” the area.
