Poll: Occupy Wall Street draws NY support
Occupy Wall Street participants Zoe Elston, center, of Taos, N.M.,, and Terry Orr, right, of Pittsburgh, Pa., begin their day with quiet conversation at Zuccotti Park. (Oct. 17, 2011) Credit: AP
Protesters with the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations have support among a majority of New Yorkers, according to a poll by Quinnipiac University released Monday as the protest enters its second month.
About 67 percent of New York City voters agreed with the demonstrators' views and 87 percent deemed it "OK that they are protesting," the poll stated.
The poll found 81 percent of Democrats agreed with the protesters' views, while 58 percent of Republicans disagreed.
About 73 percent of Republicans, however, said the protesters had a right to be in Zuccotti Park, where they have camped out since Sept. 17.
About 72 percent of the 1,068 New Yorkers polled said protesters can stay as long as they wish if they obey the law. The poll was done by land and cellphone from Oct. 12 to Sunday. The margin of error was 3 percentage points.
Protesters said they weren't surprised by the findings.
"It demonstrates that we've accomplished something really, really substantial in the last 30 days," Kira Moyer-Sims, 19, a protester and media liaison, said in an interview.
She added many New Yorkers can easily relate to the movement, which primarily denounces "corporate greed" and the nation's wealth disparity. "Everyone wants economic justice. It's something that we agree on," the Portland, Ore., native said.
Quinnipiac poll director Maurice Carroll said the findings show that "New York City is amenable to orderly protests. It's tolerant at this stage of the game."
Carroll said the results might be different if the movement turned violent. "They've tapped into something mainstream people are sympathetic to," he said. "People are sore and they are sore worldwide."
The NYPD Monday said it has in the past month spent more than $3.4 million in overtime costs for police officers working at the park and at other Occupy Wall Street protests.
Going into the second month Monday, the tally of those arrested had climbed to nearly 1,000. Nearly all were on minor charges ranging from disorderly conduct to criminal trespass.
Demonstrators toasted those arrested with cake bought by supporters from around the country at a one-month party Monday night.
Catania Bakery in Queens fielded calls from supporters as far away as Georgia with donations ranging from $10 to $40 to go toward a sheet cake that fed at least 100 protesters -- the biggest cake they could make on short notice.
"It's very nice. It's a good thing they're doing down there," said bakery employee Santina Mouro. Told the protesters might need more cake from the bakery for another milestone in the future, she said, "That's fine with us."
Settepani Bakery in Brooklyn was also taking calls for a sheet cake for protesters. Moyer-Sims said it was too soon for protesters to celebrate, saying there is much more work to be done. "It's awesome that we've accomplished so much, but what we've really done today is doubled our efforts."
With Anthony M. DeStefano
Out East: Mecox Bay Dairy, Kent Animal Shelter, Custer Institute & Observatory and local champagnes NewsdayTV's Doug Geed takes us "Out East," and shows us different spots you can visit this winter.
Out East: Mecox Bay Dairy, Kent Animal Shelter, Custer Institute & Observatory and local champagnes NewsdayTV's Doug Geed takes us "Out East," and shows us different spots you can visit this winter.
