Police attacked this person because:

[Riot]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

It's unfortunate, but I'm guessing at a certain point some things have to been done forcefully.

Like if a bunch of people were lining the street where the President was going to arrive and speak, were chanting and yelling, and opening carrying guns and holding signs saying the tree of liberty needs to be watered with the blood of patriots.

Or Westboro Baptist Morons were screaming hate obscenities at the family during a soldiers funeral.

Or the Klu Klux Klan was marching downtown carrying signs calling for white supremacy and punishment for mixing races.

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Riot

Like if a bunch of people were lining the street where the President was going to arrive and speak, were chanting and yelling, and opening carrying guns and holding signs saying the tree of liberty needs to be watered with the blood of patriots.

Or Westboro Baptist Morons were screaming hate obscenities at the family during a soldiers funeral.

Or the Klu Klux Klan was marching downtown carrying signs calling for white supremacy and punishment for mixing races.

And your point is?

[Riot]

Interview with sister of guy in the above video

http://www.salon.com/2011/12/13/busted_for_tweeting/

Busted for Tweeting
Police escalation in New York as my brother and 17 other people are arrested for observing an occupation

That was when everything escalated completely out of control. The escalator was stopped. Suddenly, the outer circle of cops was swarming in and violently pushing people away. John had been standing near the crowd, taking video. I was about twenty feet from him, and when I looked back in his direction, I saw his blue hood on the ground. I ran towards him and slid to the ground, leaning in between people’s knees to take pictures. John was face down on the ground being handcuffed, his glasses flung across the floor and people screaming, “Stop, stop, he didn’t do anything!”

A cop pulled me up by my shoulders and told me to step back. I said, “He’s my brother.” Several cops pushed me away as I asked, “What is he being arrested for? He was taking pictures.” A cop said, “He didn’t produce an official press pass, so that means he was resisting arrest.” I quite literally didn’t understand, so I said, “What?” At that point, the same cop said, “If you don’t step back immediately, you will be arrested too.”

I was pushed behind a line of police. I stood there, several inches from them, and heard myself saying, “Why are you doing this?”

A protester next to me was yelling at the cops, something about free speech or unnecessary force or any number of logical things to say at a time like this, I was too distracted to pay attention. But then, an officer said to him, “Get out of my face. I have a gun, and I don’t need people up in my face like this.”

[Riot]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

And your point is?

Clearly the peaceful American citizen standing there videotaping, moving back as the policeman asked him to, was more of a threat than those above I mentioned, and justified a cop coming up behind him, throwing him to the marble floor, stripping off his shoes/coat/backpack, sitting on his throat with four other cops, and arresting him for .... ?

The American right to peacefully protest is not related to one's cause, or one's public support, nor does it need permission from the government.

[MaTH716]

Originally Posted by Riot

Clearly the peaceful American citizen standing there videotaping, moving back as the policeman asked him to, was more of a threat than those above I mentioned, and justified a cop coming up behind him, throwing him to the marble floor, stripping off his shoes/coat/backpack, sitting on his throat with four other cops, and arresting him for .... ?

The American right to peacefully protest is not related to one's cause, or one's public support, nor does it need permission from the government.

How do you know what was going on during the sequance before he was arrested, were you there? The video obviously jumps from the singing and dancing to about 5 seconds before the arrest, there is a definite gap there. Is it possible that something went on that made the police react that way? I wasn't there, so I don't know. I think it's a logical question though. Is it possible that the police picked him up for something else? At the time of the arrest, it seemed like they were on the back end of breaking up the illegal protest on private property and this person didn't seem to be leaving the scene. So is it 100% out of the realm of possibility that something happened involving this guy, that wasn't seen on the video? Or is this out of the question, because OWS would never post some sort of distorted video to make the police look bad and we believe everything they say and post.

As far as your last quote goes, you're right, but in this case they were on private property. So were they all arrested, or did they let the majority of the people go? If they let them go, where are the video's of the police not arresting people who just broke the law?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by MaTH716

How do you know what was going on during the sequance before he was arrested, were you there? The video obviously jumps from the singing and dancing to about 5 seconds before the arrest, there is a definite gap there. Is it possible that something went on that made the police react that way?

Yeah. I'm guessing it was live-streaming the police over his computer stream.

I wasn't there, so I don't know. I think it's a logical question though. Is it possible that the police picked him up for something else? At the time of the arrest, it seemed like they were on the back end of breaking up the illegal protest on private property and this person didn't seem to be leaving the scene.

Really? Backing towards the door as the policeman asks him to, moving right out of the policeman's way as asked, isn't "leaving"?

And is cause for another policeman to weave through the crowd, and grab him from behind and throw him to the floor?

All the while he is completely passive, and shows no resistance? And the crowd is shouting, "What did he do?"

So is it 100% out of the realm of possibility that something happened involving this guy, that wasn't seen on the video? Or is this out of the question, because OWS would never post some sort of distorted video to make the police look bad and we believe everything they say and post.

I'm sure this was just a big plot for those evil lawbreakers to try and fool us. The sister who wrote the Salon article is probably lying, too.

As far as your last quote goes, you're right, but in this case they were on private property. So were they all arrested, or did they let the majority of the people go? If they let them go, where are the video's of the police not arresting people who just broke the law?

They only arrested the five with cameras, and the reporter. Everyone else was just pushed out the door as per the end of the video.

[Riot]

This article says nearly 20 were arrested, and the response from the NY Times over the police treatment of their credentialed reporter:

Video: NYPD Blocks NY Times Photographer From OWS Arrests
http://gothamist.com/2011/12/12/vide...ialed_phot.php This includes another view of the arrest, above, and the police coming after the NYTimes Photog, too (his NYPD issued press pass clearly visible and worn as it should be)

[UPDATE] Andy Newman, City Room's bureau chief, has confirmed that the photographer is in fact freelancer Robert Stolarik and that he was working for the Times this morning. We asked the Times if they plan on releasing a statement regarding the incident in light of a letter the paper signed, along with many other New York media outlets, condemning the NYPD's treatment of the press during Occupy Wall Street.

NYT says: "The directive Commissioner Kelly issued reiterated that the police are not supposed to be interfering with the media’s ability to do their job and cover newsworthy events. We are disappointed that it seems, in this instance, not to have been followed or implemented on the ground."

This is the story the reporter filed on the story. He describes excessive force and 10 men 7 women arrested:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20...etro&seid=auto