Occupy Wall Street live - Day of Action

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Riot

So, some stupid anarchists just came over and removed the police barricades, putting them in a pile, then the police came up, grabbed one of them and arrested him, then another cop picked up a barricade and used it as a weapon, but what he hit was a press photog and threw him to the ground.

Press was already forbidden to go to a corner where other arrests were allegedly happening - police were checking papers and only allowing through, to walk on public streets, people who live there or worked there.

What a horrible concept, those police are awful. How dare them let only the people through who had to get to work or wanted to go home.

[Honu]

KTLA here in L.A. is covering OLA......I have to laugh at some of the people they have interviewed asking them why they are here. Honestly people you should educate yourself as to what you are protesting lol.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

What a horrible concept, those police are awful. How dare them let only the people through who had to get to work or wanted to go home.

Yes, it was a public street a block from Zuccotti. Why wouldn't people - especially people with NYPD press passes - not be allowed to pass? Since when do you have to show papers to walk around in America?

Oh - because Bloomberg makes the rules up as he goes. Like when he chose to disregard a TRO yesterday for 5 hours.

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Riot

Yes, it was a public street a block from Zuccotti. Why wouldn't people - especially people with NYPD press passes - not be allowed to pass? Since when do you have to show papers to walk around in America?

Oh - because Bloomberg makes the rules up as he goes. Like when he chose to disregard a TRO yesterday for 5 hours.

Because it was the corner of Wall St. and Broadway.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

Because it was the corner of Wall St. and Broadway.

No, they weren't trying to get in front of the NYSE (they were across the street), it was a smaller group of people trying to walk over a couple blocks.

Now they are walking over to a meeting with another group, before the Subway and Bridge stuff.

Did you get to see the cops bring in more troops, close down the park, encircle it, and then run in roust out one guy that was kicking the barricades? During that, they locked the park down, and wouldn't let anyone in or out for about 30 minutes - several hundred people, while they got one and arrested him.

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Riot

No, they weren't trying to get in front of the NYSE (they were across the street), it was a smaller group of people trying to walk over a couple blocks.

Now they are walking over to a meeting with another group, before the Subway and Bridge stuff.

Did you get to see the cops bring in more troops, close down the park, encircle it, and then run in roust out one guy that was kicking the barricades? During that, they locked the park down, and wouldn't let anyone in or out for about 30 minutes - several hundred people, while they got one and arrested him.

There were groups all over the place this morning. Obviously every access point around the NYSE were locked down. The big group seemed to located at the corner of Pine and Broad St. about 2 blocks north of the exchange.
Not sure if that's what you are talking about.

You try make everything seem very cut and dry, but that really doesn't seem to be the case. I'm not a cop (and don't desire to be one), but I really don't think that this is easy situation for them either. They have a orders and a job to do as well. Obviously it's a very high pressure/high tension situation, throw in the fact that everyone has a camera (besides the media) and is looking to crucify the police for trying to do their job. I'm also guessing that you're probably not seeing everything that's really going on, from the feeds that you are watching. I think that the majority of the protesters are their in peace trying to spread their message. But please don't be so naive to think that everyone involved is a choirboy.

So they held everyone in the park for a half hour, big deal. The protesters tried to keep us from getting to work this morning. Are you saying that the cops locking down the park is wrong, but the protesters trying to keep people from getting to work is acceptable?

Let's see what the commute home brings.

[Cannon Shell]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/m...oJYCdedLgh4rwL



"At about the same time, a contingent of protesters decided to storm City Hall, but unknowingly ran to the Department of Education building on Chambers Street. Once there, they comically chanted, “Bloomberg must go! Bloomberg must go!”

Finally, one of the clueless demonstrators realized the mistake and told the others: “This isn’t City Hall?”

They then ran to 1 Centre Street, where one exclaimed: “There it is! That’s City Hall!” and the chanting resumed."


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/m...#ixzz1dztogA00

[Riot]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

Not sure if that's what you are talking about.

This was a little splinter group of about 50. There was no reason not to let them walk on this block. It was weird.

You try make everything seem very cut and dry, but that really doesn't seem to be the case.

The fact that peaceful legal protest is ... legal seems to have perhaps changed a bit since the Patriot Act. Or maybe it was never a right we really had. Although people literally carrying guns at a rally near the President was tolerated. You'd think unarmed people wouldn't be a threat!

I don't think the protesters should occupy Bank of America lobby. I don't see anything wrong with keep the street in front of NYSE blocked (as it pretty much as been since 9-11). Protesters should not be allowed to block a street (so others can't use it) without a permit.

But, hundreds of people in a 24-hour a day park is LEGAL. Walking along a sidewalk is LEGAL. Chanting and carrying signs is LEGAL. When a hundred extra cops surround Zuccotti, because they are going to arrest the guy who was kicking barriers, and someone says, "please let me out", and they say, "sorry" - that's simply not right.

I'm not a cop (and don't desire to be one), but I really don't think that this is easy situation for them either.

I have every sympathy for cops. I worked years with cops. Love 'em. Terribly hard job. I have no sympathy for the few losers that get through, that push protesters off 4-foot tall walls, who shove a baton into the belly of a 100-lb 18-year-old girl, or who destroy property with illegal seizure, or prevent free Americans from peaceful assembly.

There are nearly a hundred Occupies in the US right now - and some are there with the blessing of the city, and some are fraught with disaster (Oakland). But everyone has the right to free speech, freedom of assembly, etc.

Are you saying that the cops locking down the park is wrong, but the protesters trying to keep people from getting to work is acceptable?

No. The police kept people from getting to work this morning, around Zuccotti. People trying to get into Wall Street for job interviews were not allowed in (they had no corporate ID), and people trying to get into the subway stop there this am were not allowed past unless they were wearing suits, etc. One young guy (wearing a nice sweater, tie, neat) wasn't allowed through into the subway because he looks like a protester, and he was complaining to the cameraman that now he'd be late to work, had to go blocks out of his way to another stop - the protesters were not in that area.

Let's see what the commute home brings.

They are not supposed to block the Brooklyn bridge until 7:00 or so ... we'll see.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Riot

The fact that peaceful legal protest is ... legal seems to have perhaps changed a bit since the Patriot Act. Or maybe it was never a right we really had. Although people literally carrying guns at a rally near the President was tolerated. You'd think unarmed people wouldn't be a threat.




They are not supposed to block the Brooklyn bridge until 7:00 or so ... we'll see.

Is blocking a bridge legal?