Union Square
Union Square Park, New York
Photo by Iain Howe |
Public space in New York City is not only utilized as an open area for sporting activities, relaxing, getting exercise or just being outside, but it is used as a platform for political opinions or protesting as well. When arriving at Union Square at around 1:30 pm it comes across as any other park that could be seen throughout the city with people jogging, art vendors, a dog park, chess players, music playing and crowded benches due to the lunch rush. Union square not only had all the normal uses for parks, but when approaching where the music was coming from the lyrics “work, shop, die” and “shop till you drop” could be heard. Walking closer we could then begin to see bright yellow signs and chalk writing that read “Occupy Wall Street” and we had a realization that we were in the heart of one of New York’s current protests. Police were standing off to the side watching the protestors and making sure that nothing got out of hand, there was chalk written on the sidewalks and posters displaying the Wall Street protesting the issues people had with the government and the economy.
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New York has had a long history of protesting and riots in lower Manhattan since the 18th Century, mostly due the fact that Wall Street remains a powerful symbol of the American economic system (Cohen, 2011). The most recent protesting for Occupy Wall Street began on September 17, 2011 in Lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park to protest the growing wealth gap and Wall Street’s involvement in the economic crisis (NPR, 2012). Just recently since about March 2012, Union Square has become an extension of Zuccotti Park with waves of protestors rallying here as well. |
Google map of Union Square Park
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Images of the protesting activity at Union Square Park
Photo by Iain Howe
Photo by Iain Howe
Photo by Iain Howe
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Union Square Park has served as a historic rallying point for political movements as well in the United States an example was the first Labor Day celebration in 1882 where about 10,000 workers protested here. On March 21st 2012, a day before we went to observe the park, the NYPD had begun to close the park around Midnight for cleaning and to clear out the activists. The New York police are trying to stop Union Square from becoming another Zuccotti Park so they recruit at least 100 officers to close down the park for cleaning. Prior to the protesting Union Square’s NYC Parks Department curfew had never been enforced. Bloomberg and the government are making sure that there will not be any kind of overnight presence in any park in the city.
An article from the Gothamist by John Del Signore documented how one young protester confronted the police officers that were stationed nearby “Why are you here? There have been fights and drugs here in Union Square forever. It’s never been shut down. But as soon as someone wants to stand up for a political cause there are tons of cops here”. Another activist stated “They make up the laws as they go along here. One night they say we can’t have cardboard. Another night we can. Tonight there’s fewer people here so they push us all the way off the sidewalk” (Del Signore, 2012). Photo by Iain Howe
Photo by Iain Howe
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New York City parks represent a public space that not only provide people with a chance to escape the most populated city in the United States, but it allows for people to gather for causes that they strongly believe in and to get their messages out to the public to passersby’s and the rest of the world through the media. With the police enforcing the park closures, it is taking public space where people can move about freely and making it one that is controlled, regulated and one where repercussions can occur if rules are not followed.
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Photo taken by Jared Malsin on police blockade at Union Square in March 2011.
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Sources
Cohen, Jennie. "Wall Street: 300 Years of Protests." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://www.history.com/news/2011/10/11/wall-street-300-years-of-protests/>.
Del Signore, John. "Union Square: Now The Very Model Of A Modern Major Police State." Gothamist. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://gothamist.com/2012/04/03/union_square_now_the_very_model_of.php>.
Goodman, J. David. "He Made It on Wall St. and Used It to Help Start the Protests." City Room. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/he-made-it-on-wall-st-and-used-it-to-help-start-the-protests/>.
Malsin, Jared. "Police Roust Occupiers Out of Union Square Park - The Local East Village Blog - NYTimes.com." Police Roust Occupiers Out of Union Square Park - The Local East Village Blog - NYTimes.com. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/police-roust-occupiers-out-of-union-square-park/>.
Cover photos
Chin, Robert. "Photo Gallery." Photo Gallery. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://nymag.com/listings/attraction/union_square_park/photo_gallery.html>.
Del Signore, John. "Union Square: Now The Very Model Of A Modern Major Police State." Gothamist. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://gothamist.com/2012/04/03/union_square_now_the_very_model_of.php>.
Lanzano, Louis. "In Stand-off with Police at Union Square, Two Sides of the Occupy Wall Street Movement." PBS. PBS, 18 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/the-daily-need/in-stand-off-with-police-at-union-square-two-sides-of-the-occupy-wall-street-movement/12386/>.
Cohen, Jennie. "Wall Street: 300 Years of Protests." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://www.history.com/news/2011/10/11/wall-street-300-years-of-protests/>.
Del Signore, John. "Union Square: Now The Very Model Of A Modern Major Police State." Gothamist. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://gothamist.com/2012/04/03/union_square_now_the_very_model_of.php>.
Goodman, J. David. "He Made It on Wall St. and Used It to Help Start the Protests." City Room. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/he-made-it-on-wall-st-and-used-it-to-help-start-the-protests/>.
Malsin, Jared. "Police Roust Occupiers Out of Union Square Park - The Local East Village Blog - NYTimes.com." Police Roust Occupiers Out of Union Square Park - The Local East Village Blog - NYTimes.com. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://eastvillage.thelocal.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/police-roust-occupiers-out-of-union-square-park/>.
Cover photos
Chin, Robert. "Photo Gallery." Photo Gallery. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://nymag.com/listings/attraction/union_square_park/photo_gallery.html>.
Del Signore, John. "Union Square: Now The Very Model Of A Modern Major Police State." Gothamist. Web. 13 May 2012. <http://gothamist.com/2012/04/03/union_square_now_the_very_model_of.php>.
Lanzano, Louis. "In Stand-off with Police at Union Square, Two Sides of the Occupy Wall Street Movement." PBS. PBS, 18 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 May 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/the-daily-need/in-stand-off-with-police-at-union-square-two-sides-of-the-occupy-wall-street-movement/12386/>.