Protesters vow to continue their campaign following the forcible removal of the Occupy Wall Street camp, writes Chris Bambery.

The forcible eviction of Occupy Wall Street protesters from Zuccotti Park by the New York police brought home to people across the globe the reality of democracy in the ‘land of the free.’

Riot police used pepper spray and a bulldozer to forcibly remove protesters, destroying tents and dumping their belongings. Protesters sang the civil rights anthem, ‘We Shall Overcome’, recalling an earlier fight for liberty.

Liberal or neo-liberal economics have nothing to do with liberty, and indeed are accompanied by greater ‘internal security’ in both the USA and the UK.

Other camps in Oakland and Portland have faced similar evictions. New York’s mayor claims protesters are free to return but without sleeping bags, tents or tarpaulins. Michael Bloomberg, the millionaire owner of the Bloomberg Group, should try staying in the park overnight without protection from the New York winter – fat chance he’ll have to sleep in a park or on the streets.

The attack recalls the use of armed troops in 1932 to remove army veterans camped outside the White House demanding payments for service due them. General Douglas MacArthur used bayonets and cavalry to disperse them. That protest was a precursor to the mighty movement of the mid-1930s when unemployed marches, strikes and factory occupations paved the way for a new, radical labour federation.

A radical coalition of anti-capitalists, social movements and the trade unions is emerging in the USA, as it is across Europe. It is committed to fighting austerity, and is for democracy and for creating a debate on what alternatives there are to this crisis ridden system – something our rulers and the corporate media do not want.

In New York police attacks and mass arrests helped the growth of Occupy Wall Street, by rallying supporters to their cause. Protesters have vowed they will continue while in London the Occupy movement pledged the best solidarity they can offer – to keep up and build their own protest.