Occupy protestors set up gals-only tent to guard against pervs
By HELEN FREUND and TODD VENEZIA
Last Updated: 10:11 PM, November 4, 2011
It’s a safe house from the sex fiends.
Zuccotti Park has become so overrun by sexual predators attacking women in the night that organizers felt compelled to set up a female-only sleeping tent today to keep the sickos away.
The large, metal-framed “safety tent” — which will be guarded by an all-female patrol — can accommodate as many as 18 people and will be used during the day for women-only meetings, said Occupy Wall Street organizers.
“This is all about safety in numbers,” said Becky Wartell, 24, a protester from Portland, Maine. “When you are in a large group of people sleeping, you will, of course, feel a lot safer than if you were by yourself.[and] if something happens there are so many more people to witness it and say something.
Andrew Kelly
OWS protesters construct a large, women-only tent to guard against perverts.
“It will also keep away people that might feel more inclined to prey on two- and three-people tents.”
The safety measure comes amid a terrifying spree of sexual assaults — including an alleged rape — in the Zuccotti Park camp.
Kitchen worker Tonye Iketubosin, 26, was arrested Wednesday for allegedly groping an 18-year-old woman after offering to help set up her tent. He is also a suspect in a rape at the park.
The grope victims include Kara Demetropoulos, who told The Post she was fondled in a tent last Saturday night after accepting a man’s offer of a place to sleep.
The protesters have not been reporting all the incidents to police — instead preferring to settle things on their own.
The tent and its all-female security detail is the latest crime-fighting measure, and it is already getting a lot of interest.
“I’m gonna be staying here,” said Olivia Chitayat, 23, who was helping to put up the tent. “It’s partially because of the recent attacks that have been happening.
“I think that this will help bring more women to the movement as well. I think a lot of women have been hesitant and especially for those that are new and don’t know a lot of people it’s hard to find a safe place to stay.”
Demetropoulos thought the safety tent was a good idea, though she doesn’t plan on using it even after her own experience.
“I feel safe in my tent, but I bet this will help a lot of other women feel a lot safer than they have been,” said the 20-year-old Alabama native.
Some of the male OWS protesters were still in denial over the growing number of sex attacks.
“Sexual harassment gets called rape, and it’s not,” one scoffed when told of the women’s tent. “There’s no way that it’s happening as much as people are saying it has. It’s just word spreading and getting misunderstood.”
One woman was also against the tent, saying the protesters who put it up tore her tent down to make room without giving her any notice.
“I’m pissed! I pretty much just got evicted,” fumed Angelina Isfreed, 32, after returning to find her tent taken down. “I won’t be staying there.”
More people may have to move. The protest organizers plan to put up seven more large tents, including ones for gay and transgender people, co-ed tents and a medical tent.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg said on his WOR radio show that he wasn’t going to tolerate lawlessness in Zuccotti Park.
“People have the right to protest; they don’t have a right to destroy a neighborhood,” he said. “Anybody that thinks we’re going to tolerate behavior that’s not protected is wrong.”
Also today, former Mayor Giuliani said President Obama must take responsibility for the “very dangerous” OWS movement.
“Barack Obama owns the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement; it would not have happened but for his class warfare,” Giuliani told the conservative Americans for Prosperity Foundation summit in Washington.
ing CBS report.
