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Prank Clowns and Matador 'Fight' Wall Street Bull

By Julie Shapiro | November 9, 2011 4:08pm

FINANCIAL DISTRICT — A pair of clowns and a matador took on the Wall Street Bull Wednesday morning, in a prank that drew the attention of onlookers and the police.

While the clowns spanked the "Charging Bull" sculpture, a widely recognized symbol of Wall Street, the matador climbed atop a police car and goaded the bull with a red cape.

The three costumed anti-greed protesters — who are part of Occupy Wall Street and worked with the activist group The Yes Men — decided to fight the bull because of its reputation for "charging towards profit while trampling underfoot the average worker," according to The Yes Men.

The two clowns, Hannah Morgan and Louis Jargow, climbed over the police barricades surrounding the bull early Wednesday morning and began taunting the bronze sculpture as is traditional before a real bullfight, The Yes Men said.

The police quickly arrived and arrested them, pinning Jargow to the ground as Morgan continued to play a harmonica, according to photos released by The Yes Men. They were both charged with disorderly conduct and released about an hour later, The Yes Men said.

Meanwhile, the matador, whose name has not been released, hopped up on top of the police car to wave his red cape at the bull. He was not arrested, The Yes Men said.

The "Charging Bull" sculpture used to be accessible to the public but it has frequently been blocked off with police barricades since the Occupy Wall Street protests started nearly eight weeks ago.

Cops did not immediately comment.