Three protests took place across Manhattan Tuesday, each a concerted effort to draw on the momentum of Occupy Wall Street to get their separate messages heard.
Hundreds of marchers went to District Attorney Cyrus Vance's office chanting, "Hey, hey, can't you see? Stop police brutality." They demanded he launch an investigation into what they say was an "unprovoked assault'' on an Occupy Wall Street protester by police last week.
Activist Felix Rivera-Pitre was seen on video being punched by an officer on Friday. It was unclear in the video what preceded the punch.
Rivera-Pitre's lawyer, Ronald Kuby, tells The New York Times that prosecutors told him they were continuing their investigation into the incident.
Protesters also wanted Vance to continue looking into the pepper-spray incident -- a deputy NYPD inspector was seen on video releasing pepper spray into a crowd during a protest -- that happened at the end of September.
Pepper spray victim Kaylee Dedrick told NBC New York Monday she wanted the deputy inspector, Anthony Bologna, to be prosecuted.
"It's sad that it happened, it's shocking," said Dedrick.
Bologna was found in violation Tuesday of department guidelines on pepper spray. He has been docked 10 vacation days for the violation.
But ultimately, it was again the economic message that lured first-time Occupy Wall Street participants like Tom Fargado of Lyndenhurt, Long Island.
"It has nothing to do with left or right," said Fargado. "It has nothing to do with Democrat or Republican. It has to do with rich people are holding all the money, and nobody else is benefiting."
Local
Protesters also chanted outside the D.A.'s office, "Wall Street's full of crime, why not make them do their time?"
DA Vance said he "fully supports the protesters' rights to come to our office and be heard."
Marchers also went to SoHo to try to get the attention of Gov. Andrew Cuomo at an awards banquet. Inside, the governor was introduced by his father Mario and made no mention of the commotion outside.
Also Tuesday, the Wall Street protesters planned to show solidarity with unionized workers locked in a contract dispute with Sotheby's. They joined Teamster workers and other union members in a rally outside the auction house.
The event at Sotheby's and another at Lincoln Center were already planned before the Occupy Wall Street protests, but organizers say the Wall Street protesters helped infuse new energy.
At Lincoln Center late Tuesday evening, a group called the Granny Peace Brigade converged on the fountain, joined by some Occupy Wall Street protesters. Even though Granny Peace Brigade's anti-war message started first, some of those seniors who now have economic fears were energized by Occupy Wall Street.
After fleeting tension with security personnel there, who threatened to call in police, the protesters left Lincoln Center, giving themselves a round of applause.
Some of the operagoers and Philharmonic subscribers who worried their evening would be ruined showed sympathy.
"I did think they were going to disrupt it," said Keats. "And I'm glad they were quiet and silent. Taking a stand, and I believe in what they're doing."
