AUTHOR NAOMI WOLFE has been arrested during an Occupy Wall Street protest New York.
The protest was taking place outside the Skylight Studios in Manhattan, where New York state governor Andrew Cuomo was being presented with an award during a ceremony held by the Huffington Post. Cuomo was being presented with the “game changer of the year” award by the website.
About 50 protesters gathered outside the to express support for a “millionaire’s tax” – which Cuomo opposes. The demonstrators were told to move from the footpath by police.
Writing on her Facebook page after her release, Wolf said that police had ordered protesters to vacate the pavement because the Huffington Post “had a permit” to control its use.
I knew that could not be accurate. Sidewalks are public spaces and can’t be leased by private entities. I asked for a copy of the permit. A spokesman finally acknowledged that the permit allowed for pedestrian access as long as it did not obstruct foot traffic on the sidewalk.
A witness speaking to the Guardian said that after Wolf rejected the police’s instructions to move she was told: “tell it to the judge” by an officer.
Wolf wrote that she was “completely complying with the law” before she was arrested:
I have been released from custody. I was completely complying with the law and the permit as it was described to me by police and I was arrested for standing lawfully on the sidewalk.
It is unclear what charges the author could face.
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