Here's what we know:

1. The city shut down electricity to the park during the first week.

2. The protesters have been using generators without incident ever since.

3. When the Generators were seized, the protesters behaved as they normally behave when the city overreaches: pissed, but peaceful.

4. Bio Diesel Generators are not the fire risk that normal generators are. Bio Diesel requires an incredibly high flash point.

5. Bio Diesel backyard refineries have had problems with fires, but my understanding is that once the fuel is refined, it's fairly safe. Refining it (like refining any fuel) is dangerous. I don't have evidence of a biodiesel fire that wasn't a refinery.



This could be the strategic beginning of Bloomberg's crackdown.

In the NYTimes on Oct. 17th, Bloomberg said that Occupy Wall Street went "beyond" free speech.

Bloomberg knows that he can't send the NYPD in to bust heads. The pepper spraying incident which was - in comparison with a full assault on the encampment by the NYPD - somewhat minor led to a massive growth of the movement, and full Union support. We covered the Community Board 1 vote, where local authority gave its support to occupy wall st, allowing tents.

Bloomberg knows that a full crackdown might sway opinion against him, and to the protesters. So this may be the beginning of a campaign to keep the pressure on the protesters until they leave of their own volition.

MASSIVE DISCREPANCY:

From the NY Times:

Firefighters went into Zuccotti Park early Friday morning and removed six generators and 13 cans of gasoline, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said on his weekly radio program. Protesters handed the materials over voluntarily, and there were no arrests.

Except that a significant amount of this was biofuel, not gasoline. Flammable yes, but not explosively so like gasoline.

The only fires I've found in my research into biofuels this morning which were caused by bio-diesel were caused by refining biodiesel, which involves cooking it. Any cook can tell you that's dangerous.

But this isn't a refinery.

Link for the NY Times blog: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/

We can confirm that the park had transitioned to Bio-Diesel generators. I've seen them myself.

It's a giant yellow generator labled "Bio-Diesel."

It smells like french fries.

When we live-streamed the GA, they approved the purchase of a number of bike-generators and batteries. They will have electricity back eventually.

They wanted to set up a heated tent for people who might be suffering from hypothermia in the winter, which is going to be a problem.

About Alternative Power: We can confirm that the General Assembly approved a significant investment in bicycle generators. Solar wont work as well because of the tall buildings and trees. Now that it's nearing winter, there will probably never be direct sunlight in Zuccotti.

We were getting some light reflecting off of buildings earlier.

That fact limits solar's usefulness.

Live Video of march incoming.

Bloomberg News:

“Our first two concerns are First Amendment and safety, and this was safety,” Bloomberg said. “People were courteous and understanding. The story of this morning is that there was no story.”



Mark Bray, a spokesman for the group, said the action was “a pretext to make the protest less sustainable and more difficult for us.” Occupiers have about 14 fire extinguishers, he said.

A lot of tension as the park gears up to march. People are upset about the generators, my reporter tells me.

Our reporter is currently livestreaming at http://www.ustream.tv/.... He's working off of a solar battery because some of the equipment was broken during the chaos of the wall street march two days ago.

For those of you who missed my liveblog, here's a video our reporter shot of protesters seizing an NYPD kettling net. More updates on the full week's action and reporting and some exciting news is coming soon.

Our reporter has shut down livestream to save power. His external batteries were damaged in the Oakland Solidarity march (his backpack broke open.)

I'll update you when he's live again.

People are giving testimonials about their experiences with the banks now, live:

http://www.ustream.tv/...

















Live video by Ustream

Tune in to our ustream (powered by a solar battery!) for some really powerful testimony.

A woman who lived in Florida needed a car (because we hate pedestrians in Florida) and was told that if she stayed in good standing with a high risk, high interest car loan for a year, she would be eligible for refinancing.

A year came and went, and she stayed in good standing.

Bank of America refused to keep up their end of the bargain.

Live. March starting right now at #OWS.

The protesters are dividing into two groups. One marches on BoA, the other on City Group.

The marchers will end at chase bank, where they will hand letters to Chase addressed to Jamie Dimon.

Our reporter estimates about 300 on this march, and growing.

Protesters chant "Banks Got Bailed Out, We Got Sold Out," in one of the marching groups.

The other reaches the BoA tower: http://twitter.com/...

People of all ages are marching on banks right now. They're near 53rd street. They've marched from Zuccotti.

We've contacted FDNY, and they should get back to us soon with the information we requested on public safety information.

Now, our video team is running low on electricity because of equipment loss the other night, but they'll be back up when they get to the next bank (Chase). Stay with us.

Our U-Stream is back up. See above.

Full statement from the NYFD which was announced to the protesters over bullhorns:

Good morning. We have become concerned that gasoline and generators in the park are a threat to your safety and the safety of this neighborhood. Gasoline and generators pose a real threat of fire or explosion in Zuccotti Park, particularly given the congested conditions and proliferation of flammable materials that has occurred over the past 5 weeks. City law does not allow for the storage and use of generators and fuel in a manner that threatens public safety, and they need to be removed. Please bring all generators and fuel here so they can be safely disposed of. These materials are being removed to protect the people in this park and the people in this neighborhood in general from fire or explosion. As long as you voluntarily relinquish any fuel and generators that you may have, you will not be penalized in any way. We are not here for any other purpose than to remove these fire hazards and to keep you and the public safe. So in order to save them from being confiscated, please bring the generators and the fuel here. Thank you.

The protesters complied. The NY Times reports that Bloomberg made the following statement:

“Unless Brookfield wants us to enforce a regulation that they have a right to impose, saying no tents, they can stay there,” the mayor said, referring to Brookfield Properties, the developer that owns the park. He added, “So far Brookfield hasn’t complained to us and asked us to remove people, so that’s not a consideration.”



So Bloomberg and Brookfield may decide to forcibly remove the tents during the hardest part of the winter.

Beautiful.