Sep 27 2011
Police Crack Down on Wall Street Protesters Even as Unrest Grows
Videos shot at the now 11-day long Occupy Wall Street action show an aggressive and at times violent New York Police Department reaction. Arrests began early last week but a crackdown on Saturday during a march shocked participants and drew media attention. In perhaps the most outrageous incident caught on film, a group of female protesters were penned in by police employing plastic orange netting, and approached by an officer who soaked them in pepper spray. The women fell to the ground screaming while the cop, reportedly identified as Deputy Inspector Anthony V. Bologna, walked away while no other officers come to their aid. At least 100 demonstrators have been arrested since September 17th when the action began, an estimated 80 this past Saturday alone. Individuals who appear to be peacefully protesting are seen in videos being wrestled to the ground by multiple police, held with a knee to the throat, and aggressively handcuffed. There are reports of police punching, pushing, beating, and dragging protesters. The National Lawyers Guild began representing those arrested after sending legal observers to Zuccotti Park, headquarters for rallies and those occupying Wall Street overnight. NLG Executive Director Heidi Boghosian said her organization is “disturbed” to see the NYPD using orange netting to encircle protesters, “essentially trapping them” before arrest, and then employing pepper spray and other potentially harmful tactics. On Sunday journalist and author Chris Hedges visited the area dubbed Liberty Square. Addressing the crowd Hedges said the mass arrests and police brutality signaled that, “the corporate state is terrified.”
GUESTS: Chris Hedges, Senior Fellow at the Nation Institute and a columnist for Truthdig.com. His latest book is called The World As it Is: Dispatches on the Myth of Human Progress
UPDATE: There is to be a similar action being launched in Los Angeles on October 1st. Find out more at www.occupylosangeles.org.
3 Responses to “Police Crack Down on Wall Street Protesters Even as Unrest Grows”
Occupy Seattle started yesterday. I can’t participate in person, so I’m spreading the word and making my house one big sign. It’s time to Occupy America!
The movement is gaining momentum after a week and a half and Occupy movements are popping up all over the country! Stand up together and use your voice to give to those without. Tax the rich and feed the poor- you are the 99%! See my Occupy Wall Street painting and Anonymous homage on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/09/occupywallstreet.html where you can also see videos of the protests and police brutality as well as get other sources for real coverage of the movement.
Ok, these people have been assulted and watched as they cryed out. This is what we pay the police to do to us. Wait…did I say police or did I mean the gang, at this point they are interchangable.