Early Tuesday morning, the New York Police Department forcibly evacuated Zuccotti Park, home of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The move provoked a clash not only with protesters but with the press. In what appears to have been a coordinated effort to block coverage of the raid, the police barred many journalists from reporting on the police action.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the police kept the media away “to prevent a situation from getting worse and to protect members of the press.”

According to the New York Times, one journalist told a police officer “I’m press!” and the officer just responded “Not tonight” before pepper spraying him. This is a clear attempt to block images like that of police pepper spraying an 89 year old woman, and it is a disgrace.

Police harassment of the media has been reported during protests in Chicago, Denver, Oakland and Portland.

While I agree the occupiers should not be camping in a public park where no camping is allowed, they have the right to assemble peacefully and the press has the right to cover the story. This is not China nor Iran. We are the 99%, and we will be heard.