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SNL Skewers Mayor Bloomberg About Occupy Wall Street

By Tom Liddy | October 16, 2011 3:11pm

MANHATTAN — There's a new weapon in Occupy Wall Street's arsenal — laughs.

"Saturday Night Live" took a swing at Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the latest episode — poking fun at Hizzoner's handling of the demonstrators over the past month.

"You will be treated with dignity and respect by the city and police with one caveat," said funnyman Fred Armisen, playing the role of the mayor. "The second, and I mean the second I see a demonstrator lighting up a cigarette we’re moving in.

"If you think I’m joking, go ahead, make my day."

The skit took a jab the recent standoff between the city and the protesters about cleaning Zuccotti Park, which nearly sparked a showdown on Friday with police.

"As all New Yorkers know various parts of the city are routinely power washed," he said. "Power washing is a New York institution and without it, the Big Apple would lose its reputation as the world’s cleanest and most thoroughly sanitized city."

And Armisen's character even appeared to defend at least one aspect of the now-infamous pepper-spraying incident — in which women protesters were maced while standing behind a police barricade in Union Square.

“All pepper spray was made from pure, 100 percent cayenne pepper without any added oil or trans fats and was completely salt free," Armisen deadpanned.