Occupy Wall Street: Protests Unsafe, Sexual Assaults and Violence on the Rise
Occupy Wall Street has been going on for a little over two months, but protests are becoming controversial as news of sexual assaults and other criminal activity are marring its humble efforts.
Police reported around six sexual assaults coming out of the Occupy camps, with three coming from Zuccotti Park in New York City. The Zuccotti Park attacks forced the innocent protestors to set up an "all women tent."
Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, told Fox News: “The concern would be the rapes and attacks that aren’t reported, we have no way of really knowing. If you have three or five crimes reported, you really don’t know if it’s eight or 10 that happened.”
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A man was accused of sexually abusing a woman Oct. 8. This first reported incident occurred while the woman was in her sleeping bag in Zuccotti Park. The woman did not report the incident until she saw the suspect, David Park; appear at the protest site again.
Another man, Tonye Iketubosin, was arrested for sexually assaulting a woman last week in her tent on Oct. 25, also at Zuccotti Park. He was even questioned about the rape of a second woman on Oct. 29.
A 23-year-old man from Dallas was accused of having sex with a 14-year-old runaway in their local "Occupy" movement while in Cleveland. Cops are looking into a sexual assault allegation that occurred Oct. 15.
The Occupy Wall Street organizers released a statement regarding the safety of these camps.
“As individuals and as a community, we have the responsibility and the opportunity to create an alternative to this culture of violence. We are working for an OWS and a world in which survivors are respected and supported unconditionally," said the statement. "We are redoubling our efforts to raise awareness about sexual violence. This includes taking preventive measures such as encouraging healthy relationship dynamics and consent practices that can help to limit harm.”
Apart from the sexual assault reports, incidents of violence have also been on the rise. A man taking pictures in Zuccotti Park was left with a laceration on his face after a protestor struck him, a police report from last week stated.
Local businesses feel the brunt of some of the protestors in Manhattan, as well. The owner of one shop claimed the protestors terrorized her after she refused to let them bathe in her store restroom.
In Boston, a number of the homeless protestors were discovered to have concealed weapons and drugs on them.
A San Diego camp vandalized and destroyed food vendors after the small business owners stopped giving the protestors free food.
However, one of the most grievous incidents happened in Portland. A Molotov Cocktail was allegedly set off near the city's World Trade Center, forcing authorities to respond to the calls. They received unconfirmed information on the deadly weapon a few days early and responded as they saw fit.
“Paralysis is occurring across law enforcement. It’s becoming a Catch 22,” said Mullins about the protesting incidents in Manhattan. “To go in there to clear the park is going to cause confrontation. To not do so is detrimental.”
