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Questlove, Tom Morello and Others React to Occupy Wall Street New York Raid

Occupy Wall Street RaidSpencer Platt, Getty Images

New York City Police began forcibly removing Occupy Wall Street protesters from their location in the city's Zuccotti Park Tuesday morning. And it appears the Roots' drummer Questlove had a hunch about the raid, leaving some news sites referring to him as a modern-day Paul Revere.

In a string of tweets early Tuesday, the drummer predicted that something was in the works. "Omg, drivin down south st near #ows," he wrote. "Somethin bout to go down yo, swear I counted 1000 riot gear cops bout to pull sneak attack #carefulyall."

A subsequent tweet to @OccupyWallStNYC -- who inferred it was simply police changing shifts and wasn't anything unusual -- said "if its shift changes so be it. they always watch yall in the thousands like that?"

"@OccupyWallStNYC wait. so i was right? #ows is being raided?" he later added. "told yall! Tryna make me think i was crazy! i knew i saw what i saw. i was tryna downplay it 1ce tweets were discrediting me. but i swear i saw like 6 city blocks of nothin but riot gear cops under my bridge. this was like 11 pm. i live down here so i know the police climate. most nights 4 cars. some horses. tonight? thousands." Questlove also quipped that "#OWS needs a better lookout system."

Other musicians who have performed at various Occupy movements around the US and internationally also voiced their thoughts on the NY raid, which comes as other sites like Occupy Toronto are served eviction notices.

"NYPD is raiding Liberty Square right now! #occupywallstreet," singer Tom Morello tweeted.

"They're breaking down #occupy in New York," tweeted Amanda Palmer, who posted a YouTube video on Monday of her performing 'The World Turned Upside Down' (a tune popularized by the political rocker Billy Bragg) featuring different images of the Occupy movements.

Watch Amanda Palmer's 'The World Turned Upside Down' Video
"Implication is that the rich are doing us a favour," Billy Bragg -- slated to perform today at the Occupy Sheffield movement in Britain -- tweeted. "In reality 10th man constantly tries to avoid paying his fair share." Bragg later asked that people find "a strong coffee" for "PennyRed," a tweeter apparently updating the situation at Occupy Wall Street.

Meanwhile, Canadian indie rockers the Dears had a simple tweet regarding the raid. "Force is the language they understand..."

Late Tuesday morning, a judge ruled that the "Occupiers" have the right to return to the park in what is sure to be a very fluid situation. The Occupy Wall Street movement began on September 17.

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Harven

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