Occupy Wall Street Protesters Can Stay Indefinitely: Bloomberg

By Michael Howard Saul, Wall Street Journal

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Monday that he'll allow the Wall Street protesters to stay indefinitely, provided they abide by the law, marking his strongest statement to date on the city's willingness to let demonstrators occupy a park in Lower Manhattan.

"The bottom line is - people want to express themselves. And as long as they obey the laws, we'll allow them to," said Bloomberg as he prepared to march in the Columbus Day Parade on Fifth Avenue. "If they break the laws, then, we're going to do what we're supposed to do: enforce the laws."

Bloomberg said he has "no idea" how much longer the Wall Street demonstration will last. "I think part of it has probably to do with the weather," he said.

Up til now, the mayor has been cagey when asked how long he'll allow the protesters to stay, replying: "We'll see." His words Monday morning signal a stronger commitment to allowing the demonstration to continue unimpeded by municipal government.

Occupy Wall Street calls itself a resistance movement with participants from myriad backgrounds.

Bloomberg, the city's 108th mayor, has a long track record as a strong defender of first amendment rights. Last year, he passionately defended plans to build a mosque and cultural center two blocks from the World Trade Center, a controversy that dominated media for months.

"This is the place where you can protest," Bloomberg said last week, calling New York the "most tolerant, open city in the world."

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Comments

[Davieson Adrian Phd]

08:36 PM on 11/15/2011

The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protesters should be allowed to exercise their first amendment rights without any hindrance!

[jackdaniel58]

12:51 PM on 10/12/2011

Hear yea- hear yea - His Majesty The Mayor has declared the people can peacefully demonstrate- His Fullness of Himself also declares..............

[randtheman]

07:48 PM on 10/11/2011

"The bottom line is - people want to express themselves. And as long as they obey the laws, we'll allow them to,"

The OWS folks should obey the laws the same way his dis-honor did when he had the city council change the laws so that he could have an extra term against the will of the people. He still had to outspend his closest competitor 70 million to 10 million to win by just 5%. Mr. Mayor, forgive me if I don't think you should be the one delivering the "just follow the rules" message. Lastly, I'll just state the fact that it's very interesting that Michael Bloomberg's wealth has grown almost threefold while he has been Mayor and the economy has been free falling. hmm. I'm sure that wealth has been gained entirely above board (SURE).

[ebanks84]

03:58 PM on 10/11/2011

Good for you Bloomberg! If you can't help, at least do no harm!

[MIKEinNYC]

01:35 PM on 10/11/2011

How about addressing some of the grievances that gave rise to these protests instead of grandstanding?

Let's bailout some of these students and forgive some student loans? We did something like this for the banks. Are these people, these taxpayers, any less worthy?

Next let's stop the spate of foreclosur­es. There is an inherent unfairness associated with bailing out the banks and making them whole because they suffered losses due to defaulting homeowner-­borrowers and then allowing the banks to foreclose on these homeowner-borrowers' homes anyway. Sounds like unjust enrichment to me. And that's unconscion­able.

And that's just for starters.

Next, let's stop interferin­g in other countries. Why should I care who's running, Syria or Libya or Yemen and send American kids over there to take sides in influencin­g an outcome?

[Venicelady]

07:41 PM on 10/11/2011

Ironically, I just heard on a radio news show that Wall Street firms (collectively) are expected to lay off 10,000 people in the next few months.

More supporters, it seems for the Occupy movement.

[jasminefay 7]

01:29 PM on 10/11/2011

"The bottom line is - people want to express themselves. And as long as they obey the laws, we'll allow them to."

If they obey the laws, how could you NOT allow them too?

He is giving them permission to do something they don't need permission for. It's all for show, just to make him look like one of the "good guys." pft.

[mike23oo]

01:24 PM on 10/11/2011

Bloomberg is a smart guy, he knows the more protesters that are there the less chance the muggers will hit the working class residents.

Heck who cares they are costing the city millions in extra expenses and the place now looks disgusting.

[mjeffn]

01:03 PM on 10/11/2011

So...are you going to allow the sanitation workers to make their rounds now?

[gettkins]

12:59 PM on 10/11/2011

No,jobs, no income, no paycheck make people insane !

[bdoug25000]

12:52 PM on 10/11/2011

And that's what I admire about Bloomberg.

[cadawa]

12:50 PM on 10/11/2011

Bloomberg is a smart politician. He knows he doesn't have a choice. Intervening is not a viable option so he pretends it's okay with him. Make no mistake about whose side he is really on. It isn't the other 99%.

[horrorfan1866]

12:43 PM on 10/11/2011

They need to move it to the Capitol Bldg in DC

[mike23oo]

01:25 PM on 10/11/2011

The have but it will never ever be reported cause it makes the government look bad.

[mclozano1]

11:38 AM on 10/11/2011

That is right they are entitled to the right to assemble as per the constitution, the same as when the Tea Party did and they can stay as long as they want as long as they are peaceful protests.
It is only labeled a violet mob by politicians out of touch with the reality of the county such as Cantor and Fox News.

[natezim]

11:32 AM on 10/11/2011

Let Bloomberg pay for the overtime for the police in the handling of these interlopers!! My tax dollars should be spent for better means instead of the handling of a mob that has taken over a park and created a sanitary disaster for this part of the city. The politicians that support this protest have their own agenda and they will pay dearly at the poles. These protesters have no idea of which agenda they want to protest except to protest about something that upsets them. Let them spend this effort and time in searching for a job!!! Bloomberg's tenacious audacity in paying for another term has brought enough chaos to this city by the corruption and the millions of dollars stolen under his watch. He has withered in his third term and that will be his legacy!!!

[Weeweed Up]

01:20 PM on 10/11/2011

You must be tired from all that ranting. Let me help you with the rest of your statement:

GET OFF MY LAWN YOU LITTLE WHIPPERSNAPPERS!!!

[JubalTHarshaw]

11:27 AM on 10/11/2011

If the OWS crowd is actually the 99% and they are engaged, responsible citizens, aren't they, by definition, responsible for the mess we are in? After all, one would think that when 99% of Americans agree on something and take their civic responsibilities seriously they have to accept a certain measure of responsibility for what their conduct creates.