THREE PEOPLE WERE arrested this morning on Wall Street for public nudity and disturbing the peace.
The offenders, two men and a woman, were participating in a peaceful street performance art organized by Zefrey Throwell called Ocularpation.
Around thirty people dressed up as bankers, assistants, vendors, and police officers stripped down (completely naked!) along 10 blocks on Wall Street.
One started casually read the Economist. Another, according to Gawker, performed vigorous “BSD” exercises (go to Gawker to see the video of what that looks like). Another was on her phone headset having a business call.
The purpose might have been to contrast the literal – and startling! – transparency with the lack of it in the financial world.
I’m trying to illuminate a dark cranny in the financial world,” said Throwell in an interview with Metro. He’s 35, an artist and self-proclaimed “troublemaker” who lives in Chinatown. Throwell organized the performance after watching his mother lose her entire life savings in the stock market crash of 2008 and then saw Wall Street remain the same.
Everyone performing was peaceful, and the passersby barely glanced up from their Blackberrys, but apparently some caused a group of policemen enough concern to arrest them. They were handcuffed and forced to their knees on the sidewalk until a police car escorted the three to the station.
