SeaStreak accident left more than 70 passengers injured

By Caroline Lewis

With a full investigation under way, the SeaStreak resumed full service this week, ferrying commuters between Atlantic Highlands, N.J., and Wall Street.

Many passengers on board were already out of their seats and moving toward the exit of the SeaStreak Wall Street vessel, ready to make their way to work, when it crashed into Pier 11 on its second trip of the day last Wednesday morning. As Captain Jason Reimer rushed between the ferry’s control stations trying to get one of the recently modified consoles to respond, both diesel engines shut down. More than 70 of the 326 passengers and five crew members on board were injured, sustaining minor to serious head injuries.

”I woke up about 6 feet from where I was standing,” said ferry passenger Ashley Furman, who was visibly shaken after the crash. She said she sat with two women she knew who were bleeding until medics came to load them into ambulances.

In July, the SeaStreak Wall Street was converted from a water jet system to a controllable pitch propulsion system and the new system is under investigation as one possible cause of the accident. “The engine remained the same; it was the propulsion system that actually changed,” said Robert Sumwalt in his last update on the investigation of the accident by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

“Since we purchased the company in the spring of 2008, we have implemented numerous changes to the vessels and the service, many of which relate to safety,” SeaStreak President James Barker wrote on the company’s website.

A spokesperson for SeaStreak says the NTSB has requested that the company not comment on the cause of the accident, sentiments of the captain or crew, or future safety measures they plan to take until the investigation is completed. He did say that the company is reaching out to passengers on its Facebook page, where the company has received an outpouring of positive support.

Captain Reimer, at the helm at the time of the accident, was the most experienced captain at SeaStreak , the NTSB discovered. He had conducted the sea trials of the vessel after it was modified and he was also responsible for training other crew members on how to operate it.

The NTSB is speaking with passengers and has interviewed the crew members, who were all breathalyzed and determined to be sober immediately following the incident. “Each of these crew members is shaken and very concerned about the accident,” said Sumwalt, following initial contact with the SeaStreak team.

The NTSB and SeaStreak Wall Street’s engine manufacturer are in the process of reviewing closed-caption video of the engines. According to Sumwalt, this new information may shed light on the specific cause of the accident.

By one account, crew members have grumbled about the vessel’s new propulsion system, saying it was more difficult to operate.

“I was talking to one of the employees, and he was telling me that none of these guys like this boat—the captains—because it has something different. It’s not jet-propelled or something,” eyewitness Dee Wertz told the Associated Press after the accident. “After he said that, literally, the front of the boat hit into the corner of the barge.”

This is not the first accident for SeaStreak, or even this particular vessel, according to U.S. Coast Guard records. The same ferry (with the previous propulsion system) was involved in a crash of unspecified cause in 2010. Since 2007, SeaStreak vessels have been involved in 10 separate incidents.

New York City used SeaStreak to expand ferry service to the Rockaways after Sandy shut down subways. According to a spokesperson from the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the expanded service has been very popular and the Request for Proposals from other companies to permanently run the service remains.

Bodegas, you see, are some of the New York City businesses that will clean up at the expense of the “little guys,” like pizza parlors and McDonald’s, if, as expected, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s new soda policy goes into effect in September. That was just one of several hollow arguments opponents made at last week’s Board of Health public hearing.

The argument, advanced by Council Members Melissa Mark-Viverito and Letitia James, among others, is that because the limit to large sugary drinks applies to restaurants but not many bodegas, supermarkets and candy stores, it sets up an unfair advantage.

Here’s the apparent theory. You go into a shop for a pizza slice. You’re desperate for more than 16 ounces of soda—not so desperate that you’ll buy two or three sodas at the parlor, which would still be permissible, but just thirsty enough to take the slice into the bodega next door and wait on line again to buy a large amount of soda in one container. Or you are so determined to have a Big Gulp that you’ll choose your meal based on the available drink size.

Jimmy Alix, who works at an East Harlem candy store barely wide enough to squeeze in two-liter bottles of soda, is not expecting a rush of business from the pizza shop across the street or the other two a block away from his shop on Lexington Avenue and 124th Street.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “People are going to buy whatever size they have there.”

At least three other nearby places would be permitted to sell large sodas: a small grocery, another candy store and a Pathmark. Large soda consumption would undoubtedly continue, but some people would clearly drink less and, perhaps as important, the debate has likely made many people more aware of how many empty calories they drink.

Former Gov. David Paterson tried to talk truth to powerful bodegas and others a few years ago with a soda tax, but Big Sugar beat him. An industry ad back then showed a small grocery owner saying his customers calculate their food bills down to the penny. It was meant to trigger outrage that working-class people would pay more, but it really showed that the tax would lead to healthier choices.

Another of the absurd arguments by lobbyists and opponents is that it limits free choice. Although not a goal of the Bloomberg plan, it would actually expand choice in places like movie theaters.

The misnamed group leading the opposition backed in part by movie theater chains, New Yorkers for Beverage Choices, didn’t have anything to say about their effort to keep limits on consumer choice.

At least one opponent “expert” said there’s no proof that people will take in fewer calories. It shouldn’t take an Ivy League professor to point out the obvious—people tend to drink all that they are served—but it did.

“The science on this is quite clear:  As people are served larger portions, they generally consume more food,” said Kelly Brownell, director of Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity.

The Council members do care about the problem—James said she sees obesity in her Central Brooklyn district every day and it sends her to too many funerals. They’re right that the policy is not a complete solution, and other measures, like youth fitness programs, may be more helpful. But it seems they’re saying that if you don’t do everything you can to battle obesity, don’t do anything.

David Jones, a plan supporter and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York, said he has spent too much of his career trying to improve social services to wait for the perfect idea.

“I have to do something now,” he said at the hearing, “because this is really ripping through poor communities.”

Josh Rogers, contributing editor at Manhattan Media, is a lifelong New Yorker.

Photo by PaulSteinJC, courtesy of Flickr Commons

Olek strikes again! Polish-born crochet artist Agata Oleksiak added some color to Lower East Siders’ commute this morning by hanging two pairs of pink camouflage yarn-covered sneakers alongside the many old shoes dangling from wires above the intersection of Broome and Eldridge Streets.

Olek’s knitted street art is a downtown staple by now. In the past two years, the New York transplant has fully adorned shopping carts to cars with her elaborate crocheted designs. The public displays often promote her larger scale gallery projects – such as her an entire apartment covered in crochet patterns, furniture, appliances and all  – but they have also occasionally become large scale projects of their own: in January 2011 she covered Wall Street’s massive Charging Bull sculpture, and in October 2011 she crochet-bombed the Astor Place Cube.

Olek in her crocheted apartment. Photo by HAPPYFAMOUSARTISTS, courtesy of Flickr Commons.

Olek’s street pieces usually don’t stick around for long, so take the time to enjoy them when they pop up. And don’t worry that you’ve missed your chance, because today’s colorful hanging shoes hint that another spree of public works might be on the way this summer to generate hype for her upcoming exhibit at the Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C. Check out the chronological list below of where her work has appeared on the city’s streets and what it has covered in the past few years, and see if you can find out where and what she will strike next!

OLEK’S CROCHET BOMBS

2010

• Intersection of Suffolk and Rivington Streets: bicycle, locked to a post –
  

  Photo by easy mo drew, courtesy of Flickr Commons

  Olek’s crochet street art debut! Later moved to the entrance of Essex Street Market, where the artist had an exhibit.

• Elizabeth Street: car and another bicycle, both parked outside the Christopher Henry Gallery.

• Intersection of Bowery and Delancey Street: children’s bicycle, chained to a street sign.

• Wall Street : Charging Bull Sculpture.

2011

• Stanton Street: bicycle, across from Olek’s exhibit at the NY Studio Gallery.

• 358 Broome Street: image on the side of the building of a girl holding balloons, a tribute to iconic street artist Bansky.

• Northwest corner of Chrystie and Delancey Streets: another girl with balloons image on the side of the building.

• Petrosino Square just off Lafayette Street: children’s tricycle locked to a post.

• Tompkins Square Park: sculpture of a life-sized “walk” crosswalk signal
  

  Olek likes to cover people, too. Photo by See-ming Li, courtesy of Flickr Commons.

  man, created by Scott Taylor.

• Astor Place: “The Alamo,” the Astor Place Cube.

• Rivington and Suffolk Streets: shopping cart, chained to scaffolding at the Clemente Soto Velez Center.

• 147 Orchard Street: another shopping cart, chained to the Volang boutique.

• East First Street and the Bowery: a third shopping cart, chained to a tree.

2012

• Jersey Street between Lafayette and Crosby Streets: four strollers locked to street signs with the combined message “Love and stop lights can be cruel.”

• Broome and Eldridge Streets: two pairs of shoes hanging from the wires over the intersection.

– Paul Bisceglio

Charles Barron, photo courtesy of Wiki Commons.

Brooklyn

POLITICO looked at Ed Towns’ unexpected endorsement of Charles Barron.

Wall Street and the city’s political class are fearful of a Barron win.

Hakeem Jeffries and Barron debate foreign policy.

Queens

Rory Lancman is pounding the issue of protecting social security.

Bronx/Manhattan

Charlie Rangel skipped a debate in the Bronx, which Adriano Espaillat criticized.

Espaillat himself denied that he is ignoring African-Americans by skipping a forum.

At a debate both attended, they debated the virtues of longevity.

U.S. Senate

Rudy Giuliani appeared in a radio ad for Bob Turner.

Lockdown
A 29-year-old woman was working out at a Wall Street gym when several items were stolen from her unsecured locker—she reportedly left the items in the locker even though her lock was broken. The robber made off with the woman’s purse, containing an iPhone, a driver’s license, several credit cards and some jewelry.

Making a Drive for the Border
A Canadian visitor to New York City is temporarily stranded here after his rental car was stolen from its Tribeca parking spot on Sunday, May 6, in the early evening. Inside the stolen vehicle was a cell phone, money, a purse, a GPS, some CDs and a Canadian passport.

Calling the Fashion Police
A 25-year-old woman reported her wallet was stolen from her purse in Lower Manhattan while she was en route to the PATH train. The woman’s credit card records revealed a $720 purchase at Abercrombie & Fitch  by the brand-savvy thief before she managed to cancel the card. Also missing were her driver’s license, a train ticket and some cash.

Caffeine Fiasco
A 55-year-old man was waiting in line at a major coffee shop chain for his morning caffeine fix when he noticed his laptop was missing from his bag. While in the shop, he reported, his bag never left his person. The laptop was never recovered from the incredibly sneaky thief.

Too Hungry to Notice
A 38-year-old woman was eating at a popular lunch chain mid-afternoon on a Tuesday in the Financial District when she noticed her purse had been stolen from where she set it behind her chair. The stealthy thief made off with her iPhone, wallet, passport, credit cards and house keys.

Phoning It In
A 17-year-old boy was arrested mid-day in Soho after grabbing an iPhone from the hands of a 49-year-old woman, who was texting. A witness apprehended the thief, who produced a pocket knife with the blade exposed. The perpetrator was arrested by officers who discovered a stolen Blackberry in his possession as well. Other evidence collected included multiple cell phone chargers, two iPods, an iPod Touch, two cell phones and a Bluetooth device.
In another itheft, on a Monday in Tribeca, a 63-year-old man’s company iPhone was grabbed by a young man who proceeded to run off the train they were both riding. The phone’s Find My iPhone application returned no results, and the victim decided not to pursue the matter. Additionally, a young man was enjoying himself at a nightclub in Soho on a Friday when he noticed his iPhone had been stolen out of his back pocket. He searched the club for the burglar to no avail, but his phone’s tracking system revealed a signal in the Bronx.

A 31-year-old man parked his car on the street in Soho on a Saturday and went to dinner, only to return at 2 a.m. to find a window smashed and a backpack missing. The backpack contained $1,670 in cash and  a charger, a calculator and a pair of sunglasses.

An Ambitious Thief
A woman was partying Thursday night at a Soho nightclub when she reached into her purse to discover various items missing, including cash, credit cards, an iPhone and makeup. American Express later called her to approve a $4,000 transaction on her account, which she denied.

Unclean Getaway

Around 3 p.m. on a recent Sunday, a store clerk at a Financial District department store observed a man shoplifting on the premises. The 57-year-old clerk pursued the man, who reacted to the chase by spraying the clerk in the eyes with an unknown substance. The thief then dropped the bag containing the stolen loot, which turned out to be just $15 worth of soap. The clerk returned the soap to the store unharmed, but the perpetrator got away. There were no other witnesses to the messy encounter.

Lock-Down

A 29-year-old woman was working out at a Wall Street gym when several items were stolen from her unsecured locker. She reportedly left the items in the locker even though her lock was broken. The robber made off with the woman’s purse, containing an iPhone, a driver’s license, several credit cards and some jewelry.

Making a Drive for the Border

A Canadian visitor to New York City is temporarily stranded here after his rental car was stolen from its Tribeca parking spot on Sunday, May 6^th, in the early evening. Inside the stolen vehicle was a cell phone, money, a purse, a GPS, some CDs and a Canadian passport.

Calling the Fashion Police

A 25-year-old woman reported her wallet was stolen from her purse in Lower Manhattan while she was recently en route to the PATH train. The woman’s credit card records revealed a $720 purchase by the brand-savvy thief at Abercrombie & Fitch before she managed to cancel the card. Also missing were her driver’s license, a train ticket and some cash.

Caffeine Fiasco

A 55-year-old man was waiting in line at a major coffee shop chain for his morning caffeine fix, when he noticed his laptop was missing from his bag. While in the shop he reported his bag never left his person. The laptop was never recovered from the incredibly sneaky thief.

Too Hungry to Notice

A 38-year-old woman was eating at a popular lunch chain mid-afternoon on a Tuesday in the Financial District when she noticed her purse had been stolen from where she set it behind her chair. The stealthy thief made off with her iPhone, wallet, passport, credit cards and house keys.

Phoning It In

A 17-year-old boy was arrested mid-day in Soho after grabbing an iPhone from the hands of a 49-year-old woman, who was in the process of texting. A witness apprehended the thief, who produced a pocket knife with the blade exposed. The perpetrator was arrested by officers who discovered a stolen Blackberry in his possession as well. Other evidence collected included multiple cell phone chargers, two iPods, an iPod touch, two additional cell phones and a Bluetooth.

In another “i” theft, On a Monday in Tribeca, a 63-year-old man’s company iPhone was grabbed by a young man who proceeded to run off the train they both occupied. The phone’s Find My iPhone application returned no results, and the victim decided not to pursue the matter.

A young man was enjoying himself at a night club in Soho on a Friday at 2 a.m. when he noticed his iPhone had been stolen out of his back pocket. He searched the club for the burglar to no avail, but his phone’s tracking system revealed a signal in the Bronx.

One Costly Dinner

A 31-year-old man parked his car on the street in Soho and went to dinner on a Saturday, only to return at 2 a.m. and find a window smashed and a backpack missing. The backpack contained $1,670 in cash and other various items including some a charger, a calculator and some sunglasses.

An Ambitious Thief

A woman was partying Thursday night at a Soho night club when she reached in her purse to discover various items missing, including cash, credit cards, an iPhone and makeup. Her American Express account called her to approve a $4,000 transaction which she denied. The 26-year-old woman claimed she was distracted by friends at the time of the theft.

Illustrated by Evan Soares.

Soft Money

Feb. 22, a man was arrested for credit card fraud in a drug store on Wall Street. The man tried to buy $1,040 worth of American Express gift cards and, perhaps in an effort to properly launder the money, a $7 bottle of fabric softener.

Aisle of the Lost
While shopping at a chain supermarket on Greenwich Street, a man from Washington State put his black Gucci money clip down as he was shopping. When he realized he no longer had the money clip at the checkout, he went to look for it, but it unfortunately didn’t turn up. Among the lost items were credit cards and Harley Davidson and Costco gift cards totaling $500.

Out to Lunch
When a 38-year-old woman was eating lunch at a taquería on Canal Street, she didn’t expect to get a phone call a few days later from her credit card company asking for payment on about $1,600 in charges from that day. The woman believes a nimble-fingered thief reached into the purse draped behind her chair as she ate, grabbed her credit cards and $250 in cash and ran. The woman had no clue she had been robbed until she got the phone call.

Dance the Night Away
Drinking and dancing sounded like lots of fun to a 21-year-old woman until, as she danced the night away at a bar on Pearl Street, a man stole her Louis Vuitton purse and wallet worth $1,500. Also stolen were her Apple iPhone 4S, credit cards and $200 worth of MAC makeup. The thief was recognized as a regular of the establishment and is believe to work in a kitchen in Hanover Square.

Off to Work
When a 29-year-old woman went to clock in at the restaurant she works at on Church Street, she unfortunately forgot her purse on one of the bar stools. After catching up with her co-workers, she realized that the bag had vanished without a trace. Inside were her apartment keys, debit card and $200 cash.

Teatime
On March 22, a 46-year-old man sat down in his favorite coffee shop on the corner of Dey and Church streets to drink some tea and do some work on his computer. When he reached down to collect his bag next to his leg, he realized that someone had stolen it, along with his cell phone, credit cards, a $100 digital camera, headphones and an Apple iPod, which were all inside.

Card Tricks
A tourist out with her friends from Kentucky, was pickpocketed on Canal Street as she watched a game of three-card monte. The thief, who stole $500 in cash from the 46-year-old woman, was caught red-handed but averted arrest. Before he ran off, the pocket picker shouted, “Go ahead and call the law!” He has yet to be caught.
Stolen Bike
On the evening of March 19, a 21-year-old Queens man parked his red Honda motorcycle on the corner of North End Avenue and Murray Street. When he returned to the corner, his bike, which was unlocked and uncovered, was no where to be seen. Police searched the area for the missing bike, estimated to be worth $10,000, but to no avail.

UPDATES FROM OCCUPY WALL STREET

• According to NY1, organizers of Occupy Wall Street have set up a military tent to create a safe space for female protestors sleeping in the movement’s home base in Zuccotti Park. The safety of female protestors was recently called into question after two confirmed cases of sexual abuse in the camp, one of which occurred on Saturday, Oct. 29. The tent will reportedly sleep 30 women and will include bunk beds and a 24/7 staff will also secure the shelter.

• Political Action Table, a group of activists reportedly unaffiliated with OWS, say they collected over 2,000 signatures in Zuccotti Park in favor of extending the millionaire’s tax beyond its current expiration date of Dec. 31. The group delivered the petition to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s New York City office on Third Avenue on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 3:30 p.m.

• Local politicians came out in full force last week to support the city and Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s decision to remove the barricades on Wall and Broad streets. “The city’s decision to give back sidewalk space to the community was the right call for Lower Manhattan residents, workers and especially small businesses that have seen receipts decline since barricades were installed,” noted Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. In a letter to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway dated Oct. 13, Council Member Margaret Chin, along with Rep. Jerrold Nadler, State Sen. Daniel Squadron and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, asked for a reassessment of the barricades after receiving numerous complaints from residents on Wall and Broad streets. Recently, Chin’s office accompanied representatives from City Hall on a tour of Wall Street to highlight the sidewalk congestion and access problems the abundance of barricades has caused.

• Now entering its eighth official week, OWS has finally secured 24-hour bathrooms. According to a release distributed by Nadler, Silver, Squadron and Chin, OWS has obtained three portable bathrooms to be installed on a loading dock connected to 52 Broadway, which will be watched 24 hours a day by a security guard.

EAST VILLAGE

ST. MARK’S BOOKSHOP SECURES LEASE REDUCTION

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer was joined by the president of The Cooper Union, Jamshed Bharucha, and the co-owners of St. Mark’s Bookshop, Bob Contant and Terry McCoy, to announce that The Cooper Union and St. Mark’s Bookshop have reached an agreement that will help keep the 31 Third Ave. store in business.

Instead of paying $20,000 per month, The Cooper Union has agreed to reduce the store’s rent by $2,500 per month for one year and forgive $7,500 of a prior loan it made to the bookstore. St. Mark’s has agreed that, working with Cooper Union students, the relief will allow it to come up with a viable business plan not dependent on further subsidies.

Contant and McCoy said, “We are sincerely appreciative of the rent concessions Cooper Union has granted us. Our bookstore and Cooper Union are both vital to the intellectual life of our community and we look forward to working together in ways that will benefit us both. We especially want to thank Borough President Scott Stringer for his invaluable efforts in negotiating this agreement.”

“The best way to ensure the longevity of St. Mark’s Bookshop is for the thousands of people who signed petitions to buy more of its books,” added Bharucha.

St. Mark’s Bookshop is a commercial subtenant of The Cooper Union, which leases retail space in the Third Avenue building.

CITYWIDE

RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMITS GAIN GROUND

Last week, State Sen. Daniel Squadron and Assembly Member Joan Millman heralded the City Council committee passage of a “home rule message” to allow New York State to move forward with legislation that authorizes residential parking permits in the city.

Squadron and Millman sponsored the legislation, which would address increasingly prohibitive parking for residents while easing traffic congestion, pedestrian hazards and air and noise pollution and protecting small businesses.

“A permit system is long overdue in neighborhoods where residents spend hours circling for parking near their homes,” said Squadron. “This legislation empowers communities that want parking permits while protecting small businesses, reducing congestion and helping fund our subways and buses. It’s a win for communities, a win for quality of life and a win for New York. Thank you to Speaker Quinn, Chair Foster, and Council Member Levin for moving this forward. Now, the state must pass this bill and give communities real choice.”

This legislation gives communities the choice to allow residential parking permits (RPP) on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis. The bill contains the following stipulations: 1) On streets with RPP, at least 20 percent of spots would be open for non-permit parking, 2) the permits would directly fund the upgrading and improvement of NYC subways and buses, providing much-needed revenue for New York’s transit system 3) RPP would not be allowed on commercial streets—spaces with meters and other restrictions could not be affected by RPP—and 4) public hearings would be required before implementation of RPP in a neighborhood.

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A HISTORY OF ONLINE MENTIONS (#OWS) SINCE THE START
Impressions with an OWS Organizer
American Autumn
The Pivotal Moments of Occupy Wall Street

Aug. 23: ANONYMOUS, the hacker organization, endorses #occupywallstreet with a video promoting the upcoming Sept. 17 occupation. Until now, the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement was merely talk initiated by Adbusters, an anti-consumerist, not-for-profit organization out of Canada.

Sept. 17:  Zuccotti Park, formerly referred to as Liberty Plaza Park, is “liberated” and occupied by protesters from across the country. Socialists, communists and anarchists are among the protesters. OWS organizers say they have no single demand but rather wish to call attention to the anger and discontentment of their peers over corporate power and the wide gap in wealth distribution, among other issues. Actress Roseanne Barr, rappers Lupe Fiasco and Immortal Technique all speak at the inaugural General Assembly.

Sept. 24: During a march of approximately 500 people toward Union Square, the New York Police Department (NYPD) kettle a group of protesters using orange mesh nets. Roughly 80 are arrested.

In the hours and days following the march, video footage of NYPD officer Anthony Bologna pepper-spraying three women is circulated widely on the Internet. The video garners mainstream coverage by major news organizations of the OWS movement.

Sept. 30: As Occupy movements sprout up across the country (Occupy Boston, Occupy Chicago and Occupy San Francisco are a few of the largest, among many more) a rumor spreads that the band Radiohead will play an acoustic set at Zuccotti Park. Thousands of people flock to the park, despite numerous denials from a spokesperson for Radiohead and OWS. Ultimately it turns out to be a hoax, but media coverage increases.

Oct. 3: During a planned march over the Brooklyn Bridge, over 700 people are reportedly arrested by the NYPD.

Oct. 5:  Many unions and political organizations, including TWU, 1199SEIU and MoveOn.org, officially endorse OWS with a rally and march that starts in Foley Square. Over 20,000 people reportedly attend the rally. Later that evening, several protesters are arrested as they charge a barricade on Wall Street.

Oct. 10: Celebrities such as Kanye West, Russell Simmons visit Zuccotti Park. The Occupy movement is now using Meetupcom as a platform and there are over 1,300 occupations around the world.

Oct. 14: Brookfield Office Properties, the owners of Zuccotti Park, attempts to clear the park by announcing that they and the NYPD will be performing a cleaning of the park at 7 a.m. the next morning. Protesters spend the day cleaning the park themselves, MoveOn.org gathers more than 150,000 signatures on a petition asking Bloomberg not to allow their eviction and, by 6 a.m., with no response from either the city or Brookfield Properties, an estimated 5,000 people gather in Zuccotti Park to prevent the clearing of the park. At the last minute, Brookfield rescinds their request for cleaning as well as their request for NYPD support in removing the protesters.

PHOTOS BY: Gail Zawacki, Brennan Cavanaugh, Gail Zawacki, Jeremiah's s Vanishing New York, Alex Fradkin, Brennan Cavanaugh, Meetup.com, Brennan Cavanaugh, Cody Swanson