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Did authorities go too far when they broke up the Occupy Wall Street convention last November? Their lawyer, Norman Siegel, says yes. He is helping the group sue New York City for $47,000 to compensate for the books and other materials that police damaged, destroyed, or trashed after they swept in at a surprise night raid against the camp, demoralizing the group and collecting up their libraries of books into 26 sanitation trucks.
The protesters, who redress issues of wage inequality in the United States, took the November raid in Zuccotti Park, near Wall Street in Manhattan, as a huge blow against their project. Lately, their funds have dwindled and their attempt to organize a general workers’ strike has failed as well.
Not only is the group seeking $47,000 in damages, they want to make this a moral victory, and are stipulating that police admit the plaintiff’s rights under the U.S. and New York State constitutions were violated.
Such demonstrations as the Occupy Wall Street have not only balanced the Tea Party with two sides of dynamic demonstrations, but it has also put in the forefront what it means for Americans to have the right to “peaceably assemble.” If they win this case, the group may regain the morale they will need to continue their plight.
