Police swarmed into New York's Zuccotti Park early Tuesday morning to disperse the Occupy Wall Street protesters who had assembled there over the past two months, sending waves of shock, horror and dread through the celebrity community.
As the famous and feted struggled to come to grips with the show of authoritarianism by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, they did what they do best in such situations — they fired up their Twitter accounts to express their distant, pithy distaste.
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"30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin, a frequent supporter of crusades against The Man, accused Bloomberg of employing anti-Constitutional measures.
"Bloomberg's NY is no place for the 1st amendment," Baldwin huffed. "Bloomberg serves Wall Street, now and forever. And Wall Street cannot handle free speech."
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Baldwin went on to accuse Bloomberg of stifling dissent during the 2004 Republican Convention, lamenting that the mayor blew an opportunity to "groom his legacy" while dealing with the Occupy protesters. He also criticized what he sees as a pro-corporate bent in the city's tax structure.
"NYC bends over backwards 2 give costly tax breaks 2 corps that threaten 2 leave NY. Whether those corps create sufficient jobs or not," Baldwin wrote.
Filmmaker Michael Moore, another reliable firebrand for the left, stepped up to inform displaced protesters that their comrades were reconvening at another New York public space.
"#OWS: Go to Foley Square right now to regroup. Centre and Worth Sts.," Moore wrote, adding that the dispersal would likely present a minor setback at most.
"It's too late," Moore opined. "Tens of millions of Americans won't let the #OWS momentum stop. They want the banks stopped and they want their America back."
Like Baldwin, "Shutter Island" star Mark Ruffalo — who's logged time in with the Occupy Wall Street protestors — took Bloomberg to task, going so far as to compare Bloomberg to the oppressive Chinese government.
"#mikebloomberg deals blow to First Amendment by raiding Zuccati park at 1am with riot police. Bars press from watching. Destroys library#Ows," Ruffalo wrote.
(As it turns out, reports that the 5,000-plus volume Occupy Wall Street Library at Zuccotti Park had been destroyed were inaccurate; the books were merely stored for safekeeping at a Department of Sanitation facility, and can be picked up Wednesday.)
"Cabin Fever" director Eli Roth painted the conflict between the protestors and the authorities as a drama worthy of one of his own films.
"All the anger against corruption has pitted NYC's finest against its citizens. It's all so painful to watch from afar. Stay strong NYC #OWS," Roth wrote. The director also posted footage of police supposedly beating protestors at the park, which he deemed "violent" and "terrifying."
"50/50" actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt posted a picture depicting what he called a "peaceful gathering downtown," adding, "Police blocking our way."
Posting live streaming video of the eviction, "Harold & Kumar" star Kal Penn decided not to focus his anger on Bloomberg and the police, but instead directed his ire at the news outlets that have avoided the crackdown.
"No matter our views, imp 2 see coverage that mainstream media won't cover," Penn wrote.