Wall Street protesters demand justice

Occupy Wall Street protesters Tuesday evening marched through lower Manhattan, shouted outside the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., chided Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo as a defender of the rich, and called for swift and severe punishment of city officers caught on video roughhousing demonstrators.

Protesters also cheered when they heard police Lt. Anthony Bologna, who was videotaped pepper-spraying two women protesting Sept. 24 in Union Square, had been docked 10 days of vacation for the incident. They called for his firing. A police official confirmed the disciplinary action.

Hundreds of people marched from their encampment at Zuccotti Park about 5 p.m. and gathered at Vance's lower Manhattan offices at Hogan Place to demand he investigate the officer who on Friday struck protester Felix Rivera-Pitre.

"We're trying to demand that he [Vance] end police violence and brutality," said Ramon Velasquez, 52, of Brooklyn, a leader of Vocal New York. "We want him to stop investigating Felix and start investigating police."

Later, outside the Skylight SoHo building on Hudson Street, where Cuomo was attending an event, author Naomi Wolf and a man were arrested. They were charged with disorderly conduct and released.

Wolf's work includes "Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries," "The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot" and "The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women," all of which are calls to action on liberal-leaning causes.

Outside Vance's office, protesters cshanted "Let's end stop-and-frisk!" "Hey, Vance! Can't you see? Stop police brutality!" and "Wall Street is full of crime. Why not make them do the time."

"This particular march is about police justice," said protester Alexander Rue, 44, of Allentown, Pa.

The crowd later was just as determined to lash out at Cuomo, whom they dubbed, "Governor 1 percent."

In one series of chants, some protesters shouted, "Where is Cuomo?" Others replied, "Protecting the 1 percent!"

Cuomo, after a Huffington Post event at Skylight SoHo, defended his positions. "I am against higher taxes. This is one of the highest taxed states in the nation."

Of the protests, Cuomo said: "It's part of the process. They have the right to make their voice heard, and that's what they're doing."

With Anthony M. DeStefano