ABC News:
  • Alleged sexual assaults at Occupy Wall Street camps have raised concerns about security in a handful of cities, including reports of rape and groping in tents at New York's Zuccotti Park and a sex offender in Dallas having sex with an underage runaway.

    "These protests have a history of welcoming everyone and just assuming they're on your side," said David Meyer, a professor of sociology at the University of California at Irvine, who studies protest movements.

    The recent reports of assaults have created a problem the "Occupy" movement is being challenged to address head-on.

    "We always encourage victims to go through the proper channels and contact police," said Brendan Burke, 41, who helps run the security team in Zuccotti Park.

    But that's not always the case. Burke admitted there have been times when members of the community have taken it upon themselves to chase off men who exposed themselves in the park.

    "If there is a consensus that someone is bothering another person, the community will take care of it," he said. "Still, we always notify victims to contact police."

    New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg -- addressing the allegations of sexual assault today -- said the reported practice of chasing perpetrators, rather than reporting them to police, is "despicable." If the reports are true, he said, the protesters have made the city less safe.


Rapists and child molesters: the new 99%?