City eyes permits for Occupy Wall Street

Mayor Michael Bloomberg indicated the city was about to start taking a tougher line with the Occupy Wall Street movement, perhaps by requiring permits for marches and demonstrations.

The mayor's comments, made during his Friday morning radio appearance on WOR, brought a big ho-hum from movement organizers. They said permits aren't necessary for what they are doing in and around Zuccotti Park.

Responding to a caller to the John Gambling show, Bloomberg admitted that dealing with the protest movement wasn't easy. But, he added, the marches had been peaceful, though "sometimes without a permit -- we will start enforcing that more."

Bloomberg didn't clarify that remark, and his office didn't respond to a request for an explanation.

A police spokesman said that permits from local precincts are needed for street marches or when sound amplification devices -- such as drums -- are used. Marches on sidewalks don't need permits, he said.

However, police moved to arrest protesters a few weeks ago when they took to the roadway of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Occupy Wall Street organizer and spokesman Patrick Bruner said since protesters have mostly used the sidewalks, Bloomberg's remarks were "almost offensive."

"We march on the sidewalk, use the 'people microphone,' " said Bruner, referring to chanting taken up by protesters at various times during marches.

"It is almost offensive for the mayor to say we are not playing by the rules," said Bruner, who lives in Brooklyn.

Some of the protesters on Friday marched with Verizon workers, who are in contract negotiations with the telecommunications company, to a store in lower Manhattan, Reuters reported.