Live Updates: More Than 200 Arrested at Occupy Wall St. as Violence Escalates

UPDATE III: BBC reports that more than 200 people have been arrested thus far at Occupy Wall Street while CBS reports that nearly 400 Occupiers have been arrested across the country during these November 17 marches.

UPDATE II:

The events in New York City are changing fast. For an up-to-date live blog of what's going on -- including pictures of a bloodied protester after clashing with police and the impending subway shutdown -- you can click here and here. The links on the front page will be updated, too.

The live stream below is also available.

Original story below

NEW YORK (The Blaze/AP) -- Police arrested protesters who sat on the ground and blocked traffic into New York's financial district on Thursday, part of a day of mass gatherings in response to efforts to break up Occupy Wall Street camps nationwide.

Police in riot helmets hauled several protesters to their feet and handcuffed them one block from Wall Street.

(Related: See a slideshow of Blaze writers' pics from the march)

"All day, all week, shut down Wall Street!" the crowd chanted.

After several arrests, most of the protesters retreated down the street. A line of riot police followed them.

"You do not have a parade permit! You are blocking the street!" a police officer told protesters through a bullhorn.

The congestion brought taxis and delivery trucks to a halt.

You can watch a live video from the protesters' live feed below: [Content warning -- may contain graphic language]

The protest had been planned before the city and park owners cracked down on the encampment in Zuccotti Park, but took on added importance to the protesters after tents, tarps and sleeping bags were cleared out early Tuesday and the granite plaza across the street from the World Trade Center site was cleaned for the first time since the group arrived more than two months ago.

"This is a critical moment for the movement given what happened the other night," said Paul Knick, 44, a software engineer from Montclair, N.J. "It seems like there's a concerted effort to stop the movement and I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen."

The confrontations in New York followed early-morning arrests in Dallas, where police evicted dozens of protesters from their campsite near City Hall citing public safety and hygiene issues. They arrested 18 protesters who refused to leave.

Transit officials were preparing to deal with a crush of people as part of the protest billed as a national day of action. The group announced it would rally near the New York Stock Exchange, then fan out across Manhattan and head to subways, before gathering downtown and marching over the Brooklyn bridge.

Passer-by Gene Williams, a 57-year-old bond trader, joked that he was "one of the bad guys" but that he empathized with the demonstrators.

"They have a point in a lot of ways," he said. "The fact of the matter is, there is a schism between the rich and the poor and it's getting wider."

Similar protests were planned around the county.

New York City officials said they had not spoken to demonstrators but were aware of the plans.

"The protesters are calling for a massive event aimed at disrupting major parts of the city," Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson said. "We will be prepared for that."

The New York Daily News reports the protesters will try and disguise themselves as businesspeople:

The "day of action" is to begin early, with protesters converging on Wall Street camouflaged in business suits hoping to blend in with office workers trooping out of the subway.

"We will rise from beneath. They can't stop all of us. It's going to get crazy," vowed one organizer. "They took the first shot Tuesday night. [Thursday] we return fire. We will be peaceful, but we will resist."

The city said it was bracing for tens of thousands of people in the streets.

UPDATE:

The New York Daily News is now reporting that over 100 have been arrested and that the occupiers are planning a march on City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge. You can see pictures of the police preparing for the action here.

This is a breaking story. Updates will be added.