Wall Street protesters ousted from New York park

In a pre-dawn operation, hundreds of policemen supported by helicopters today stormed the Zuccotti park here, ground zero for the anti-Wall Street protests, and cleared the area of the protesters, at least 70 of whom have been arrested.

Police arrived in riot gear with helicopters hovering above the city's financial district in the wee hours today as it began its clampdown on the two month long protests against corporate greed.

Police spokesman Paul Browne said the city had issued fliers to the protesters saying the park would be cleared after 1 am (local time) tonight.

The park was cleared by around 4pm.

The flier said the city had decided "that the continued occupation of Zuccotti Park posed an increasing health and safety hazard to those camped in the park, the city's first responders and the surrounding community".

Browne said about 70 people who were inside the park had been arrested including a group that had chained themselves.

As the clampdown started, protesters were giving minute by minute update on the Occupy Wall Street website with posts including 'NYPD reporter arrested', 'Occupiers who have been dispersed are regrouping at Foley Square', 'Press barred from entering Liberty Square', 'Pepper spray deployed -- reports of at  least one reporter sprayed', 'Massive Police Presence', and 'Helicopters overhead'.

Meanwhile, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg's office urged the protesters to "temporarily" leave the area, saying they could return later.

"Occupants of Zuccotti should temporarily leave and remove tents and tarps. Protesters can return after the park is cleared," the office said on the micro-blogging website Twitter as the raid began.