NYC Police Action Gets Out of Hand
Outgunned, Outmatched
AlterNet.org
The
NYPD protester strategy on Tuesday was akin to the U.S. military's
display of overwhelming and sometimes unnecessary force in Iraq
Tuesday,
August 31 – The day protesters had designated as “direct action” day
certainly lived up to its billing, but not as they had planned. As the
second day of Republican convention speeches dragged on a few blocks
away at Madison Square Garden, an extremely aggressive New York Police
Department pre-empted protest actions, trapped marchers in no-escape
cul de sacs, and surrounded groups and individuals in orange netting as
though they were capturing schools of fish. Police arrested hundreds
(the New York Times reports at least 900), perhaps more than 1,000.
Most of the arrested were young people who were merely exercizing their
right to free and peaceful assembly.
Early
police skirmishes broke out on the steps of the Public Library at 42nd
street and 5th Avenue at around 5:45 PM. This spread to Herald Square
in front of Macy's, to Union Square and to areas around Madison Square
Park near 26th Street and Park Avenue. In some cases, cops arrested
large numbers, while in other cases they kept protestors hemmed in,
immobile, for hours. Sometimes dispersal warnings were given; often the
police didn't bother before pulling out the handcuffs.
(more)
Protesters Play Hardball
AlterNet.org
Arrests, agent provocateurs, and a wide mix of protesting hit New York's Herald Square
The
protests had been fairly peaceful, and the police had been fairly…
fair. That all changed at an ad hoc protest on Tuesday evening in the
busy shopping district around Herald Square in Manhattan, where dozens
of arrests involved, at times, the unnecessary use of force. It began
with just a handful of protesters shouting at an outdoor taping of
MSNBC’s Hardball in the square at around 6:30 pm.
According
to witnesses, police began to fence off every street corner in a three
block radius worried that these MSNBC hecklers and others would focus
their attacks on a group of RNC delegates en route to the convention.
This created paths that only delegates were permitted to use. The
arrests and senseless shows of force started when protesters got stuck
behind the netting.
According
to Al Bond, a 43-year old professor from Oregon, two girls jumped the
police fence to cross the street. Bond said, “Police caught up and
tackled them to the pavement. One girl was so small, and she fell face
first against the pavement. She must have broken her jaw. The cops
didn’t have to do that.”
(more)
Blog For Iowa 
All: I've been closely listening to WBAI in NYC and this morning with cell phones there were calls received from some in the Guantanamo on the Hudson: a NYC school teacher was out shopping and came out of a store onto the sidewalk and apparently this was in an area where there were also protestors and the police netted in the whole block. She said no one in her family knew where she was as she had told them she was going shopping and then under arrest was not allowed to call home/attorney. So, I guess if her family was listening to WBAI they may have heard her on someone's cell phone. Lawyers were arrested as were the National Lawyer's Guild/ACLU observors.
Sunday's march was excellent…My daughter was in that one. It's pretty much the day of direct action that triggered this response by the police. Unfortunate.
But, also, have you all noticed that the national media is not addressing anything regarding dissent to any degree at all.
In addition, have you all followed the FBI after the folks at Indymedia? Check out the website for details.
Best to all…
LikeLike
the reporters were equally offensive at the Democratic National Convention…for the most part I found the press at DNC extremely rude, pushy and completely imbued with their own self importance
LikeLike
I was wondering if your daughter was involved. Thanks for the update, Bev.
LikeLike
Aren't they always.
LikeLike
NYC update:
Amy participated in the big march, in the NOW gathering, in the Code Pink building of the Statue of Liberty in Pink, and last night carried the Another Mother for Peace poster at the candlelight vigil in Union Square…she said a lot of people came up to look at the poster (“War is not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things”). She heard a lot of “I remember that from VietNam, my mom had one of those, etc.” She is going to see the boots exhibit of AFSC. And, interestingly enough, before the pres. speech last night, the judge let all those arrested go, even those being held for 3 days (cops say not more than maybe 5 hours or so). I was appalled that the NYC Fireman's Union came out for …b… I do not think that speaks well about the Democratic foundations in the city.
New Yorkers seem to feel they are confident in their political position and strength, but I'm not so sure. One thing I am going to do this weekend is write my women's list in Missouri again and ask them to try to find a friend to vote Democratic with them…each one bring one…
Over and out
Bev
LikeLike