Here Are Some Of The Amazing Things We Saw At The #FloodWallStreet Protests

Ben WinsorThere were dramatic scenes in the Financial District of downtown New York yesterday.

By the famous Raging Bull statue, hundreds of 'Occupy Wall Street' supporters protested against the connection between big business and climate change .

Ironically, that day some of the group's most influential sympathizers turned out to be among the biggest names on Wall Street, with the Rockefeller Family joining other investors in a pledge to rid themselves of over $50 billion of fossil fuel investments.

Gatecrashing a planning huddle, we were there when protestors took a vote to march up to Wall Street. There, they clashed into a police blockade of Wall Street, and a tense standoff / sit-in began, ultimately ending in arrests later that evening when remaining protestors refused to leave.

Here's what we saw:

Caged Bull. Protestors planned to meet by the Financial District's Raging Bull, police were ready.

Police had shut down Wall Street and the stock exchange, we slipped past the security cordon and snapped pictures of their preparations.

Protestors were positioned by the Raging Bull, they played music and held signs. Police were laid back and relaxed.Ben Winsor

Tourists were confused, "Excuse me, but do you know what they are celebrating?" one asked us.

Ben Winsor

This pair of tourists joined the protestors so they could get a selfie with the bull.

We asked police how long they expected the street to be blocked, they said "It's up to them, ask any one of them." Alison Ehara-Brown, right, came all the way from Richmond, California.

Pro-Republican students from Kings College in New York told me they came to protest against the protest. This one had a Reagan cardboard cut-out, others wore "Bush - Cheney '84" shirts.

Slipping into a huddle of organizers, we listened in as the group held a vote on what their next steps were. They resolved to march up to Wall Street for the closing bell.

Police shut-down the path along Broadway to Wall Street earlier in the day. They cleared emergency services vehicles from the route as the protestors began their march.

The march halted numerous times, a thick wall of photographers and journalists faced back towards them as they walked.

Ben Winsor

This man was crouching out of shot, pushing the photographers to keep them moving forward. This is what happens when you protest in the media capital of the word.

Protestors round the corner from Broadway onto Wall Street, moments before crashing into the Wall Street Police Blockade.

The moment protestors hit, Police pushed them back against the first barricade to keep them off Wall Street.

In the only brief moment of violence during the otherwise peaceful protest, police struggled to hold the Wall Street / Broadway line.

Police arrest a man who made it through the first of two police barricades at the end of Wall Street by Broadway.

Behind the second barricade, police were clearly ready for an escalation, which didn't occur. Re-enforcements retreated out of sight when things calmed down.

After calm was restored, the protestors began their sit-in at the Wall Street / Broadway intersection.

Ben Winsor

After initially appearing tense, police relaxed as the sit-in began.

People look out at protestors from the BNY Mellon Building on the corner of Broadway and Wall Street. "This is a message to you!" shouted protestors.

Out of sight to most protestors, roughly 250 feet from them each side up Broadway, police had re-enforcements ready.

Ben Winsor

The atmosphere after the barricade clash was pretty calm. Here a kid plays soccer with activists and journalists in the middle of Broadway.

Ben Winsor

Organizers announced that the protest was successful in linking Wall Street to Climate Change, and said that people should feel free to leave. Dressed in blue, protestors threw powder in the air and many began to leave.

The woman pictured, 'Emily' urged people to stay "there are people willing to stay here until the police forcibly remove us" she told the crowd.

Later that night, over 100 activists were arrested by police, you can follow our full coverage here.