Occupy Wall Street's 99% March Over Brooklyn Bridge into Brooklyn Heights

Tens of thousands of citizens exercising their rights marched over the Brooklyn Bridge and flooded Cadman Plaza Park and other areas of Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights tonight as part of today's Occupy Wall Street National Day Of Action events. As of this post they are still coming.We read that police estimate more than 32,000 marchers.

Police helicopters are flying below the roofs of the Cadman Towers buildings that surround the park and police buses and vans line Cadman Plaza West. Cars honk in support and people wave flashlights from balconies.

A giant Statue of Liberty ( built by the Occupy Wall Street Puppet Guild) and brass band greets the marchers as they arrived in Cadman Plaza Park and cheerful chanting -- "We are the 99 percent" - is echoing up and down the streets.

When a huge stream of participants headed towards the A train High Street station police briefly taped the entrance closed for no discernible reason, adding to the possibility of chaos.

But apparently this was reconsidered and police are again letting people back into the station. CNN has  reported that 80 people were arrested at the Brooklyn Bridge. Among them was SEIU President Mary Kay Henry and Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams. Many union people are holding signs supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement.

The sound of drums fills the air and the synchronized chants of the People's Microphone can be heard from Henry Street.

More photos and posts to come.

UPDATE 10 p.m.: Events at Cadman Park winding down, but helicopters still hover over park.

CNN video of protester arrests at Brooklyn Bridge here.

UPDATE 10:33 p.m.: Police work the first actual crime of the evening in the area. A perp attempted to rob someone at the High Street A train station, pictured above, on Cadman Plaza West. He escaped without the loot into Cadman Plaza Park. Police haven't caught up with him at this time.

UPDATE: The Brooklyn Heights Blog's Karl Junkersfeld caught the windup in Cadman Park on video here. Carroll Gardens Patch has a good writeup of the events here.

Photos by MK Metz

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