First day of the gathering. An estimated 1,000 people attend on the first day. The original location for the protest was One Chase Manhattan Plaza, with Bowling Green Park (the site of the “Charging Bull”) and Zuccotti Park as alternate choices. Police discovered this before the protest began and fenced off two locations; but they left Zuccotti Park, the group’s third choice, open. Since the park was private property, police could not legally force protesters to leave without being requested to do so by the property owner. In the beginning, officers of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) prohibited protesters from erecting tents, citing loitering rules.
