This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
Occupy City Hall's Shift from Protest to Homeless Camp ¶
When the activist encampment, initially known as Occupy City Hall, first began in June, it drew peaceful crowds focused on cutting $1 billion from the New York Police Department's budget. However, in the past week, the number of protesters has dropped off sharply, and those who remain have taken on a new responsibility: caring for dozens of homeless people.
Organizers have acknowledged that disagreements and acts of violence have occurred in the park, but they are looking for ways to deal with such troubles without involving the police. Desirae, the 20-year-old leader of the compound's media team, stated, 'It's not pretty all the time — and we're not just going to abandon it because it's not pretty right now. We're going to stay here through the ugly.'
The camp, located just feet from City Hall, presents a thorny political problem for Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has been criticized by the demonstrators and his Black supporters. A spokeswoman for the mayor declined to comment, citing 12 complaints to the 311 hotline about the area near City Hall, none of which concerned homeless people.
Despite the challenges, organizers are taking steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus, distributing masks and sanitizer. However, tense situations, including violence, have still occurred. At a community gathering on Tuesday night, several protesters clashed with one another verbally and physically. On Wednesday morning, two more protesters assaulted a person who entered the encampment with a sign proclaiming support for the police.
Organizers have set up a makeshift mental health tent, where a licensed social worker has been advising people suffering from trauma, mental illness, or substance abuse. A team of volunteer 'de-escalators' has also been drafted to move about the camp defusing disputes and soothing frayed tempers.
David Terry, a 56-year-old homeless man, has been living in the camp since a fire damaged his apartment in Harlem. He appreciates the gesture and has even tried his hand at the meditation tent. 'There's other places I could go,' he said, 'but I like it here.'
