In response to today’s cancellation of a planned clean up of Zuccotti Park and the NYPD’s response to subsequent spontaneous demonstrations in Lower Manhattan, New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman issued the following statement:

“The decision not to remove the protestors from Zuccotti Park represents a significant victory for the First Amendment. The city, in large measure, showed a willingness to respect the right to protest and did not use the planned cleanup as a pretext for making mass arrests.

“The NYPD was clearly unprepared for the spontaneous marches that started after the cancellation’s announcement. In some cases, the police were flexible and allowed protestors to march peacefully. However, we observed a few incidents that raised serious concerns, particularly the use of motorcycles to push people from the street and incidents of officers using excessive force, including throwing punches.

“Those incidents must be thoroughly investigated and any officers found guilty of using excessive force must be punished. The NYCLU had a team of legal observers monitoring this morning’s events. We will work to ensure that police are held accountable for any misconduct.

“By all indication, the Occupy Wall Street protests will continue for some time, and we expect the NYPD to adapt its practices to accommodate protest without crossing the line.”