City Settles Lawsuit Over The Destruction of the Occupy Wall Street Library

[G_j]

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/04/city_settles_la.php


City Settles Lawsuit Over The Destruction of the Occupy Wall Street Library

Tuesday, Apr 9, 2013 at 7:02 PM
By Nick Pinto

Some the library books ruined in the November, 2011 police raid on Zuccotti Park.

In an agreement announced today, the City of New York will pay more than $365,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by people whose property was destroyed when the New York Police Department raided Zuccotti Park and evicted Occupy Wall Street on November 15, 2011.

Occupy Wall Street had brought the suit
against the city over the destruction of the People's Library, a collection of about 5,500 donated books that formed a central part of the community that sprung up for two months in the park. In the eviction, many of the books were completely destroyed, and others were so badly damaged as to be unusable. Occupy Wall Street claimed $47,000 in damages, all of which the city agreed to pay today.

On top of the damage claims, the city will also pay $186,350 in fees and costs to Occupy Wall Street's lawyers.

..more...

[a kennedy]

1. finally a win or sorts. eom

[sabrina 1]

3. Well they have been winniing all the other cases in court. I love this phase of OWS,

occupying the courts. Lots more lawsuits coming up too. So far they have been doing great with the false arrest cases etc.

[a kennedy]

6. Great news.....it's just you don't hear about them much.

But it is good to know about the wins.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. Bloomberg is costing NYC a lot of money in lawsuits..

many more have been filed for various reasons.

[justabob]

4. $187k in costs for $47K settlement

I am glad the Occupiers won, but damn...

[G_j]

5. That's what it takes to fight the city

it would seem..

[Zorra]

7. They'll break any laws, and pay whatever is necessary, to stop OWS.

For the 1%, the payoff for crushing a social/economic justice movement is worth any price.

$365 G is only a few pennies for them. Cops and drones could slaughter every Occupier in the street with impunity, and the 1% would gladly pay for any damages.

[sabrina 1]

9. Yes, the people scare them more than anything else. OWS like all Social Justice movements

will continue, go through different phases, but the seeds were sewn for a Global people's movement and the moment will come when they won't be able to stop the tide.

I am hoping for Global Strikes eg which when it happens, will show them who really has the power, IF they decide to use it. Of course they know this, which is why they hate OWS so much.

[KoKo]

8. Good News! OWS has been winning all kinds of lawsuits...

which hopefully will set precedents for future protests showing that you can't treat protestors like criminals. The PTB at least got pushed back on this important issue.

[G_j]

10. An ACLU lawyer once told me

often cities set aside funds beforehand for lawsuits because they know they will be sued for acting unlawfully..planning ahead,

I wonder about NYC..

[eppur_se_muova]

11. Bottom line: it doesn't stop them from acting unlawfully ... it's just another expense. nt