#D12: NYPD aggression turns a peaceful dance party into a police riot (Part 1)

Watch as NYPD officers violently and stupidly arrest 17 members of a peaceful and happy gathering in the WFC's Winter Garden, courtesy Brookfield Properties.

In this video, you can see at least two journalists arrested with no clear pretext. According to @johnknefel, who's arrested at 6:31 in the video, 8 in 10 people in his paddy wagon were arrested with cameras. Also, @justinwedes, who contributes to @OccupyWallStNYC, is arrested just past the 10:00 mark.

In both cases you can clearly see the police initiate aggression towards the cameramen. They're both pushed to the ground and cuffed. The moment where @justinwedes is arrested is horrifyingly dangerous: you can see members of the NYPD shoving people down a staircase. This is the kind of reckless misconduct that can get people seriously hurt.

15 others were arrested, including at least 6 other journalists including @dontbeaputz and @OWS_Live. If you know any of the other citizen journalists who were arrested, please let me know.

When will Ray Kelly answer for his department's sickeningly routine violations of the civil rights of the people of New York City? When will Mayor Bloomberg be held accountable for his orders and his duplicity? Where does the buck stop?

http://diceytroop.tumblr.com - More #OWS coverage there. And, though I am happy to provide reportage for all with no expectation of compensation, please consider helping me sustain my efforts! Cheers.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• occupywallstreet
• d12
• ows
• wintergarden

[hanslol]

Holy shit the US is SO incredibly fucked up.

[darkhorseman81]

@kawola17 If you move off as a group they kettle you and corral you into closed places. Then arrest or beat you. Or slowly break stragglers/small groups out of the main group and arrest them. Moving to a new location isn't always viable. Also if a group moves along the street you can get charged with obstructing the sidewalks. And if you move off the sidewalk(often when police order you to move on to the road) they instantly jump you and arrest you for being on the road.

[rober1236jua]

@feeney57 Wow real respect for free speech there big guy. You call some people dirt bags, disapprove of how you their motivations (not what they say) and suddenly the Constitution is out the window. Fascism always wears the same face.

[kawola17]

This was the first time I saw the movement take a strategic move. They actually left! I think the Occupists would fare much better if they became even more organized and all left at the same time when instructed and move somewhere else. Something like, "BERGADE, LET'S MOVE OUT!" And then they occupy somewhere else while making the cops standing there look like idiots.

[pepperjack8]

This looks like middle eastern wedding party.

[feeney57]

@robK1320 The majority of the dirtbags in Liberty Plaza (no one in NYC calls it Zuccotti Park) had no clue what they even wanted. They saw a chance to experience the 60's and 70's that they missed. There were a large number of Dirtbags along with the trust-fund kids that just want to rebel.They wasted everyone's time and money. They are selfish through and through. Do they care that these incidents put people in danger? NO

[rober1236jua]

@ThereAreIdiots Your comments have substance? Where is that? I have only read you find the protest wrong for dancing around again and again, then lodge insults. You just repeat again and again, without substance or even logic that the protest is wrong. That the protest was violent because you say it was violent, relentless mindless drill of a mixture of inflexibility and insults pretty common of the entire right these days.

[robK1320]

@feeney57 I think you misunderstand me. I do not support harassment and other forms of intimidation; however, the movement as a whole (and the video above) do not represent the dirtbag image you are attempting to convey. I know many ppl involved and they are intelligent, respectful, passionate individuals who want to help change life in this world. The 99% and the 1% all struggle with drug dependency, gathering of people will have spectrum (bell curve likely) of "types" of people. I'm wide awake

[robK1320]

@feeney57 nyti*ms/sTlPmT WFC is owned by Brookfield, which also owns Zucotti Park (also dodged the city business taxes from 2006-2009). You obviously have judged an entire movement off of the most extreme individuals of the group (most people don't literally shit or piss in the street in Occupy). Most of the Occupy movements have developed their own ways of running their camps and are very mindful of others rights. Even have rules for occupation, respect, and quiet hours in many camps.

[robK1320]

@feeney57 You have to admit that their message makes a lot of sense. I can refer you to numerous areas of global injustice that stems from our crony capitalist system. The fact that somebody is standing up to demand some sort of change is a positive in my mind. I agree that they should be more mindful of the places they choose to use as a venue for protest, though I'm sure they had their reasons for choosing the Winter Garden. Facts guide me feeney, empirical evidence and facts guide me.