I was overjoyed to learn this morning that Brookfield Properties backed down, albeit temporarily, about cleaning the park. Unfortunately, that bubble was burst when I saw video of police supervisors, white shirts, attacking peaceful demonstrators. Later I saw video of police brutality by a blue shirt, but that has been the exception, not the rule. This article and four videos should bring you up to date.
The anticipated conflict between Occupy Wall Street protesters and city officials happened after all on Friday as NYPD officers arrested at least 14 individuals, leaving a few battered and bruised.
Many expected a confrontation early in the morning because Brookfield Properties, which owns the park the protesters’ have made their headquarters, planned on cleaning it. That meant the activists needed to evacuate for the day, which many felt was just an excuse to remove them permanently.
Instead, Brookfield decided to postpone its cleaning, at which point protesters poured into the streets of lower Manhattan.
It is unclear how disruptive the marches were, but videos and photos have cropped up of injured civilians. One police officer ran over a man’s leg with his scooter while another man was punched in the face… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Reuters>
Here’s the first video I found.
I saw no provocation to justify that vicious attack.
Keith Olbermann dedicated almost his entire show on Countdown to covering this story. Here are three of the segments. The first is an overview.
In the second, he interviews eyewitnesses to the violence.
In the third he interviews the attorney for the observer, whom police ran over with a motor scooter, Yetta Kurland.
Throughout it all, the demonstrators remained nonviolent, to their great credit. Every time corporate criminals use police violence to intimidate Americans, who object to their sucking out nation dry, and every time demonstrators do not use violence in return, more Americans realize that they are the 99%.
14 Responses to “OWS: Police Attack Peaceful Demonstrators”
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The reaction was mostly peaceful, (the marchers by their own admission breached the “do not cross” barricades) and that is good but experience dictates that with violence comes violence. The NYPD, probably by direction of their command and control staff, directed by the Board of Police Commissioners, who are appointed by the mayor will continue to escalate the violent response.
I see penetrating barriers as a act of civil disobedience, but not as an act of violence. I’ve been in the front lines of major demonstrations, and with the crowd pressing at my back, I went forward out of physics.
It makes one wonder if the police even realize that they are part of the 99%.
Patty, we need to not paint them all with the same brush. I think most do, but the thugs are the ones we see in violence videos.
I learned about the most recent punching and motorcycle incidents over at Freak Out Nation, and found them both disturbing. This doesn’t look like protecting and serving to me!
Nor to me. Ano is an excellent blogger.
“They” will do everything possible to provoke violence– because “with violence comes violence”– when that begins — the demonstrators become a mob– exactly what the “authorities ” want!
Phyllis, so far we have been lucky and things have been peaceful on the part of the protestors. But I have a feeling that IF things turn violent, they will become very nasty very quickly. People can be pushed only so far before they strike back.
One of the things that disgusts me the most is how so many of the tea baggers and right wingers keep referring to the protestors as dirty, lazy hippies.
Agree with you Charles — I see Violence coming– one of the things I am aware of watching clips of the protests is the rising undercurrent of anger– Just close your eyes and sit back- listen– you can hear it–I do not underestimate the ability to provoke violence — the longer things can go on and continue to build the more effective — Charles– it is not IF it is When—
The only real weapon the tea baggers have is name calling– they have to paint this movement in negative terms—- It is interesting to me watching – many of the older- ‘respectable’ demonstrators may well have been part of the “hippy” generation—
The problem here is that the media will portray the demonstrators as a rampaging mob and the police as restoring order if the demonstrators respond with violence. Public support would evaporate.
There are rogue cops. But I am guessing that the vast majority of US police officials will not side with their tormentors when push comes to shove.
This isn’t 1968, when a lot of us had a lot to lose and were frightened by the violence in Chicago. If the dumbasses of the elite set off a powder keg in 2011, they may well seal the end of their era in the US.
JR, I agree about the cops, but I was in Chicago in 1968, and many of the demonstrators there fought back when the police attacked. The violence from some of the demonstrators was used to cover up that it was a police riot for years.
Cantor referred to the protesters as a ‘mob’ and I seem to recall that he also made a statement a while ago that the protesters were pitting American against American.
From the videos that I have seen, I would say that it is in general, the police that have the mob mentality and the police that are provoking American against American. The police seem to be lashing out at the protesters without being provoked. I think that the protesters have so far done an admirable job of not meeting violence with violence.
As the movement grows and gains momentum globally, it must be the global 1% an itch they can’t scratch without embarrassing themselves.
Good analysis. Even Cantor is backing off his original statement.