Occupy Movement Causes Cancellation of Church Halloween Activities
Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan has decided to cancel its annual Halloween activities -- impacting thousands of children -- because of Occupy Wall Street campers squatting outside.
The Occupy campers are lined up and down the sidewalk outside the church in New York City, and for security, safety, and recent arrests, trick or treating and Halloween movies for children have been scrubbed. Last year, an estimated 1,200 people attended. But so far, nine arrests have been made in connection with the campers.
An Occupy Wall Street organizer criticized the church for cancelling the events, claiming any incidents in the area are due to "ongoing tension" between the occupiers and the New York Police. However, one Occupy member was arrested after putting an air horn to the ear of a church maintenance superintendent and pulling the trigger! The man was back at the Occupy site the next day. Church officials also report the Occupy participants will not move off the sidewalks in front of the church when workers attempt to pick up trash, and hose off the area unless a "white shirt" lieutenant (NYPD officer) is present. One church official said it becomes a tense situation.
While the church does not own the sidewalk in front of the cathedral, they are responsible for keeping it clean, but they cannot legally evict the squatters. That order would have to come from the city, and we all saw how long it took NYC to deal with the disruptive element known as Occupy Wall Street.