New York is facing now major disruption as tens of thousands of Occupy Wall Street protesters are expected to flood into Manhattan, as the movement celebrates its two-month anniversary.
While Occupy Wall Street protesters marched in Manhattan to begin a “day of action” – in which they are expected to try to paralyze New York’s subway system – Derek and John Tabacco, two Wall Street bankers held a demonstration of their own.
Derek and John Tabacco, two brothers who work in the financial district, stood next to the Occupy protesters holding up signs reading “Get a job” and “Occupy a Desk”, before others joined them.
Derek Tabacco was not happy as he tried to get to the offices of his financial technology company and was carrying a sign with a blunt message for the protesters.
“We work on Wall Street, we cannot get to work,” Derek Tabacco told Fox News.
“These people are in our way.”
Derek Tabacco wants to “deny these vagabonds a photo op in front of the global symbol of capitalism”.
He continued: “We have jobs, we work every day, we’re trying to stimulate the economy and we cannot get to work. we can’t get through.”
An Occupy protester then came up in front of a Fox News camera and labelled the brothers “s**t-heads”.
John Tabacco, CEO of stocks business LocateStock, was quoted by The Examiner last month saying protesters should instead be demonstrating in Washington D.C. against the Obama administration.
“The protesters are making noise and expressing outrage, which is their right – and it’s commendable – but they’d be better off channeling that energy into results-driven strategies,” John Tabacco said.
New York Rep. Michael Grimm joined the calls for the protesters to pack up and go home.
“Between the filth, the smell, the incessant noise, and threat to public safety, they have done nothing but cause a nuisance to the people who work and live in Lower Manhattan,” Michael Grimm said.
“They’ve cost the city and surrounding businesses millions of dollars. It has been two months and now it’s time for the protesters to pack up their tents, buy a bar of soap and head home.”
Riot police arrested protesters who sat on the ground and blocked traffic into the financial district on Thursday, hauling several protesters to their feet and handcuffing them one block from Wall Street.
“This has been every day for this past week – 25 minutes to get from Canal (Street) to Wall (Street),” one commuter told ABC.
“It’s shameful. We are all (the) 99 per cent, this is ridiculous.”
“All day, all week, shut down Wall Street!” the crowd chanted. After several arrests, most of the protesters retreated down the street. A line of riot police followed them.
Meanwhile a 24-year-old officer was cut on the hand by a thrown glass object and will probably need around 20 stitches. The assailant is now in custody, police said. Seven officers were injured in total.
“You do not have a parade permit! You are blocking the street!” a police officer told protesters through a loudspeaker. The congestion brought taxis and delivery trucks to a halt.
“This is a critical moment for the movement,” said Paul Knick, 44, of New Jersey.
“It seems like there’s a concerted effort to stop the movement and I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
