Zuccotti Park Reopens... But Where Are the 'Occupiers?

As reported on The Blaze this morning, the metal barricades were removed from Zuccotti Park and reportedly hundreds of protesters streamed into the park.

The atmosphere was celebratory but calm on Tuesday evening as about 300 protesters began filling Zuccotti Park a couple of hours after the barricades were taken down. Protesters milled around, eating lasagna on paper plates and playing chess.

After reading that early update, this reporter donned his best Occupy-like attire, grabbed a camera and jumped on the R train to lower Manhattan, ready to meet the returning horde.

There was one small problem. The horde never returned. At least, they were not visible during the hour I spent wandering the park.

Take a look;

I did wander the perimeter and interior of the park, but it was difficult to locate many of the 99%-ers.

Some of the original crew did show up. . . Like this gentleman who wanted to say "Thank-you" to the park's owners, Brookfield Properties.

The gentleman walked the entire park for at least an hour, shouting "Yes! Yes! Freedom!" as he held his sign above his head. Efforts to get him to stop and chat were unsuccessful.

As stated earlier, it appears that very few of the original OWS crew was on hand for the park's re-opening. However, they were the people who were more interested in making a buck off of the circus known as "Occupy Wall Street."

This festive lady had set up on the east entrance of the park and was announcing to all that she was "open for business."

An unscientific count of the people in the park showed more members of the NYPD and Zuccotti Security than OWS / 99%.

The early report also mentioned that the "People's Library" had returned to Zuccotti Park. The previous collection of several hundred books fascinated me, I was curious to see how the OWS crew managed to re-assemble it so quickly.

This is how they managed.

The NEW People's Library is "a tear in the salted sea" when compared to the previous collection of books. But there was also something curious lurking in the small selection.

Take a closer look inside the green bag.

 Glenn Beck has mentioned "In The Garden of Beasts" several times on the radio show, and in August of 2011 Beck listed it as a "must read."

One wonders what the OWS crowd might think, knowing that a book in the "People's Library" was on Glenn Beck's Book List? Perhaps Eric Larson's work will get a free pass now that Tom Hanks is developing it for the big screen.

When Glenn Beck heard about the book's presence in the OWS library he remarked;

"You would think if they are reading it, they might see the role they are playing."

The first day of Occupy Wall Street 2012 was not exactly a resounding success as through the afternoon we counted fewer than 50 protesters assembled in Zuccotti Park. But we are reminded that the early days of the movement were also not so well attended.

The Blaze will be watching.

Stay tuned...