Just like that, the One Per Cent Emirate of Bloombergistan lost control of the streets. A day that began with news of the re-eviction of OWS from Union Square unfolded into a re-occupation with more people by midday.

Re-occupied: banner appears at 2pm

In the early evening, it became the scene of an extraordinary gathering in memory of Trayvon Martin, the young man killed in Florida. Union Square was packed with people and the crowd was majority minority.

Rally for Justice for Trayvon Martin

There was a strong undercurrent of controlled anger that in 2012 a police-sanctioned vigilante killing of a totally innocent child could not only happen but be excused by a ridiculous “law.” George Zimmerman, the murderer, had recourse to the “Stand your ground” law that allows people to use guns if they feel threatened and that’s the end of it. Except here, he was the stalker and the aggressor, while Trayvon had nothing more than some Skittles and an iced tea. Both were much in evidence at Union Square, with packets of Skittles flying across the crowd.

During the speeches, people stood respectfully. There were some emotional moments when Trayvon’s parents, showing enormous dignity under the appalling circumstances, addressed the crowd. His mother’s voice broke a little but she came back to call for justice. As the rally ended, the Square circulated with mic checks and calls for a march.

Taking the streets

With OWS people in the front, people poured into the street, closing down 14th St in minutes. As thousands joined in, police attempts at blockades were swept past at the corner of Sixth Avenue, where we went north.

Occupied Sixth Ave tonight

Similar efforts at 20th St, similar results. The march headed uptown for a while and then doubled back to Union Square. There were more people on the streets than at any time since N17 last year–estimates of 10,000 seemed about right. No doubt the New York Times will say 500.

From there people headed in a variety of directions. As I write there are people in Times Square, Union Square and downtown on Broadway. The silly bull statue on Broadway was liberated from its barricades and is now surrounded by police. Zuccotti has been surrounded by police in riot gear all night, the perfect visualization of Bloombergistan.

Zuccotti, new capital of Bloombergistan

Now Union Square has apparently been cleared because of a “suspicious package” and the arrests are beginning as the marches thin out and people disperse.

None of that is the point, although it will form whatever headlines there are for this march. What was striking about today was to see the way that the Union Square occupation merged and integrated with a much wider section of New York’s 99 per cent with mutual goodwill and respect. The sense that enough is enough, which has been so notable since the demonstrations of the weekend, has struck a chord across New York. As we marched down the streets, many people joined in and even more waved, gave clenched fists or other gestures of support. There were more people of color on the streets and in downtown than I can remember and I have never felt safter. The locked-down, hyper-policed, segregated money machine broke down for a few hours and out of the cross-hatched space that emerged, you could see the outlines of a new city. I liked it. I would like to live there.