For many in India, the post-midnight swoop on hundreds of anti-Wall Street protestors camping at the Zuccotti park area of New York since the past two months brought back memories of the manner in which the Delhi Police evicted Baba Ramdev from Ramlila Maidan.
Let's compare the process of eviction in the two cities:
NEW YORK: According to New York Police spokesman Paul Browne, the city had issued fliers to the protesters saying the park would be cleared after 1 am (local time) on Monday night.
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".
Protesters, demanding action against corporate greed and income inequality, were giving minute by minute update of the police action 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'.
NEW DELHI: A little after 1am on June 5 a large number of police personnel descended at the Ramlila Maidan where Baba Ramdev was demanding immediate action to bring back black money stashed in foreign tax havens.
The Delhi Police, after withdrawing permission for his yoga camp and imposing prohibitory orders, used tear gas shells and baton charge to end Ramdev's agitation.
At least 30-40 people, including women and children were injured in the clash. A woman activist Raj Bala, was critically injured in the police action and later died in hospital. Baba Ramdev was arrested and taken into custody. The stage was set on fire by the police.
Above: Sade Adona yells as fellow members of the Occupy Wall Street movement clash with New York Police Department officers after being removed from Zuccotti Park in New York. Below: File photo shows people trying to escape police action at Ramlila Maidan.
