Posted 8 years ago on April 16, 2012, 3:20 a.m. EST by OccupyWallSt

At 6AM this morning, NYPD -- including high ranking officials (white shirts) -- surrounded and raided the corner accross from the New York Stock Exchange where Occupiers have been sleeping on Wall Street. This police action appears to be in direct defiance of the 2000 decision Metropolitan Council Inc. v. Safir, which held "public sleeping as a means of symbolic expression" to be constitutionally-protected speech. Occupiers read text from the case to police as they were being removed. At least four people have been arrested and Occupiers are currently assembled on the steps of Federal Hall (which is under jurisdiction of National Parks police), where they are discussing whether or not to reject demands they submit to a daily permitting regime. Consensus at this point favors delaying until additional legal help arrives on scene. For the moment, National Parks police appear to be tolerating a limited Occupy presence on Federal Hall steps, but mass arrests may be imminent.

A motion for an emergency injunction against NYPD disruption of our sidewalk protests on Wall Street was reportedly filed this morning.

Watch on livestream above; follow @SleepOnWallSt.