Lines of police were seen approaching the camp at around 3:45 a.m., ripping down tents and tarps used by protesters and the park's homeless population. Seven men were taken into custody with charges pending, according to an NYPD spokesperson.

"In 2011, when Mayor Mike Bloomberg ordered the NYPD to clear the Occupy Wall Street encampment in Zuccotti Park, then-Public Advocate de Blasio released a statement saying, “Mayor Bloomberg made a needlessly provocative and legally questionable decision to clear Zuccotti Park in the dead of night.” He added that public safety and defense of the First Amendment "are not exclusive to one another."