Around 200 people were arrested in the police raid on Zuccotti Park yesterday. At a news conference, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the arrests, calling it an issue of public safety.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg: “The occupation was coming to pose a health and fire safety hazard to the protesters and to the surrounding community. We have been in constant contact with Brookfield, and yesterday they requested that the City assist it in enforcing the 'no sleeping and camping' rules in the park. But make no mistake: the final decision to act was mine, and mine alone. There is no ambiguity in the law here. The First Amendment protects speech. It does not protect the use of tents and sleeping bags to take over a public space. Protesters have had two months to occupy the park with tents and sleeping bags. Now they will have to occupy the space with the power of their arguments.”