Witness: Occupy protesters beaten during arrests
NEW YORK (AP) — An Occupy Wall Street protester says police gave demonstrators little warning before kicking them out of a New York City park overnight and that officers beat several of them during the arrests.
The protester, Chris Casuccio, was at Manhattan's Zuccotti Park on Saturday, where demonstrators chanted and held impromptu meetings to mark the six months since the movement against economic inequality.
Police moved in around 11:30 p.m. Detective Brian Sessa says the protesters were arrested after they started breaking the park rules against setting up tents.
Police say 73 people were detained. It was unclear how many were still in custody Sunday. Police say they have no information about whether protesters were beaten.
Workers were hosing down the park Sunday as a handful of protesters watched from outside metal police barricades.
