Dozens arrested as police evict New York protesters

Hundreds of police officers in riot gear yesterday carried out a pre-dawn raid on the New York City park where the Occupy Wall Street protests began. They evicted and arrested dozens of protesters from Zucottii Park, the epicentre of the worldwide movement protesting at corporate greed and economic inequality. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the evacuation was conducted in the middle of the night, saying that it was “to reduce the risk of confrontation in the park”.

About 70 people were arrested, including some who chained themselves together.

Others chanted or shouted angrily at police.

The park was power-washed cleaned by sanitation workers. The city told protesters they could come back after the cleaning, but only if they obeyed new tougher rules, which included no tents or sleeping bags. The City of London Corporation yesterday announced it had relaunched legal action against protesters camped outside St Paul’s Cathedral. The corporation previously offered to give them until the new year to leave.

A number of camps have been set up around the country as part of the international movement including several in Yorkshire.

Singer Billy Bragg gave a performance at the protest site in Sheffield yesterday.