Occupy Wall Street Clashes with Police on "Day of Action"

It was a pitched battle in the streets of New York City as police swooped down on protesters trying to shut down Wall Street and a wild melee broke out.

Dozens of Occupy Wall Street protesters were arrested. One man lay facedown in the street as cops dragged him away.

One demonstrator screamed as he was shoved into a police van and then had the door slammed right in his face.

INSIDE EDITION's Diane McInerney and Les Trent were in the middle of the Occupy Wall Street protests as the protesters vowed to shut down Wall Street.

An army of cops in riot gear pounced on protesters who tried to block the New York Stock Exchange before the opening bell Thursday morning.

Wall Street workers had to show identification to get past police barricades and others watched the street battle from their office windows. One protester confronted a Wall Street worker in a business suit. Another man carrying his morning coffee was blocked from getting to his job. 

The NYPD is vowing to keep New York City safe and were out in full force in complete riot gear, just in case.

A swirling mass of protesters and police shoved each other back and forth as the protesters tried to tear down barricades in Zuccotti Park, birthplace of the nationwide Occupy Wall Street movement. INSIDE EDITION's Les Trent was in the middle of the utter chaos.

Trent said, "There is a crowd of police officers trying to get barricades back up around Zuccotti Park. They're being pushed back by thousands of protesters who have torn down those barricades."

Protesters call this a "Day of Action" in response to Mayor Mike Bloomberg's order to clear out their encampment at the park. They've vowed to shut down the city, including the entire subway system and the Brooklyn Bridge.

And it isn't just New York. Occupy protests were held coast-to-coast in solidarity.

In Los Angeles, almost two dozen demonstrators were arrested after they blocked an intersection in the financial district.

In New York, protesters chanted "shame" where more than 60 arrests were made. A shocking sight as America's largest city becomes a battleground.