EXCLUSIVE: NYPD Eviction of Occupy Wall Street as One Councilman Experienced it, Another Councilman Arrested

The International Business Times has the exclusive account of the harrowing night of police brutality and destruction that befell Occupy Wall Street protesters camped out in Zuccotti Park early Tuesday, as seen through the eyes of New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn.

One of Williams's colleagues, Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez of Washington Heights and Inwood, was arrested early Tuesday during a police sweep of Zuccotti Park in which at least 70 people were arrested, Williams' spokesman, Stefan Ringel, told the IBTimes while he and Williams marched alongside protesters Tuesday morning.

Councilman Rodriguez Cut and Bleeding, in Handcuffs

When Councilman Williams arrived, he came across Councilman Rodriguez, and he was in cuffs and bleeding from his face and he said he had been roughed up by the police, said Ringel. We don't know to what extent that's the case. I'm not aware if he was pushed to the ground or what happened exactly. As far as I know he was still in central booking about a half hour ago.

A tweet went out from Rodriguez's official Twitter account Tuesday at about 5:30 a.m. EST stating that he had been arrested.

Council Member Rodriguez is currently in central booking, arrested while showing support for #ows #occupywallstreet, the tweet said.

A spokesman for Rodriguez's office didn't immediately return a request seeking comment Tuesday morning.

Williams is no stranger to police overreach -- he was arrested near Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn in September while attending the West Indian-American Day Parade.

Ringel spoke with IBTimes at about 9:30 a.m. EST Tuesday morning, just after he and the councilman arrived at the intersection of Canal Street and 6^th Avenue in Manhattan. Williams and Ringel had just made their way there -- as did hundreds of displaced protesters - from Foley Square after the bust-up at Zuccotti.

Right now today things are evolving very quickly and changing as they go. I know that the Councilman is looking to continue to provide support for the movement and to speak with the protesters, said Ringel.

We literally just arrived at Canal and 6^th where there's a group of about maybe two to maybe three hundred people that are gathered. There's a series of banners being hung from a construction barrier that's in the style of police tape that says Occupy Wall Street and there's a tent that was set up. It appears that 6^th and Canal is going to be the biggest conglomeration of people right now, that seems to be the case.