Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Brookfield Allegedly Urges Cops To Have "Zero Tolerance" For OWS At Zuccotti Park
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 5, 2012
Modified Aug 6, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 5, 2012
Modified Aug 6, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Since Zuccotti Park was raided and cleared last November, a seemingly arbitrary set of rules enforced by Brookfield Properties and the NYPD have made entering and enjoying the public park akin to being subjected to a TSA screening. This document, allegedly distributed by Brookfield to the phalanx of security guards it employs to mind the park, specifically identifies those rules and acknowledges the "fluid situation" that exists in balancing the rights of park patrons with the interests of a multibillion dollar corporation, and seemingly suggests that security personnel "remind" any "resistant" police officers that their Chief of Department is expecting their cooperation.
The alleged memo instructs the "tour supervisor" to "identify and make introduction to the highest ranking member of the NYPD" stationed at the park. Here is the passage that suggests that security employees "remind" NYPD officers of their duty to obey the highest-ranking uniformed officer in their department:
NYPD supervisors that prove to be resistant to enforcing the rules of the park should be reminded that Chief Esposito has agreed to this set of rules and wanted them to be enforced with zero tolerance.
In this video, Chief Esposito can be seen shoving Occupy Wall Street protesters onto the sidewalk during a demonstration in Lower Manhattan.
The rules stated in the alleged memo (which aren't much of a surprise to anyone who has visited the park since the raid) go beyond the set of regulations upheld by a Manhattan Supreme Court Justice last fall and stipulate that patron may only bring "ONE BLANKET…(or "Snuggie")" into the park, and that "the establishment of a "Library," "Kitchen," etc, is prohibited." Musical instruments, except drums, are permitted, and if they are in a carrying case "the case must be open and visual inspection to confirm it is an instrument (rules regarding instruments are in flux)."
According to a livestreamer who witnessed NYPD personnel reading the document, the paper was allegedly given in error to a patron of the park by a Brookfield employee. We've reached out to Brookfield and the NYPD for comment, and will update when we receive any additional information. The entire document is below.
[UPDATE] Matthew Cherry, a representative for Brookfield Properties, says the company has "no comment at this time." The NYPD has yet to respond for our request for comment.
Tagged
brookfield properties
Chief Esposito
chief of department
nypd
occupy wall street
Zuccotti Park
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 4:22 p.m. ET
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
News
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
A transcript from an April court hearing sheds new light on what transpired at Fashion Institute of Technology.
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .