This is a blog. On it are fannish squees, liberal politics, and the occasional personal post.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
(Source: myworldtoconquer)
ZUCCOTTI BARK A dog is seen carrying a banner during a protest by Occupy Wall Street activists at Zuccotti Park in New York on July 12. At least three protesters were arrested after OWS members gathered in lower Manhattan on Wednesday. (Photo: Eduardo Munoz / Reuters via MSNBC)
A federal judge ruled Thursday that the police did not adequately warn Occupy Wall Street protesters against walking on the roadway of the Brooklyn Bridge before arresting about 700 of them in October.
The ruling, by Judge Jed S. Rakoff of the Federal District Court in Manhattan, allows a class-action suit filed by protesters to proceed against police officers and commanders involved in the arrests. But the ruling dismissed the mayor, the police commissioner and the City of New York as defendants in the suit, saying that there was insufficient evidence that those parties were responsible for any misconduct by the police.
Judge Rakoff’s ruling addresses one of the most contentious questions to arise during the Occupy protests: did the police wrongly arrest hundreds of protesters by allowing them and even leading them on the roadway only to surround them minutes later with orange netting? Or did the protesters, as the police have maintained, leave the pedestrian walkway for the roadway knowing full well they could end up in handcuffs?
The evidence, Judge Rakoff held, favored the protesters.
“A reasonable officer in the noisy environment defendants occupied would have known that a single bull horn could not reasonably communicate a message to 700 demonstrators,” he wrote, adding that protesters “might infer permission to enter the vehicular roadway from the fact that officers, without offering further warnings, proceeded ahead of and alongside plaintiffs onto that roadway.”
The New York Times, “Judge Rules Against Police in Brooklyn Bridge Arrests” (via inothernews)
The People’s Record Memorial Day Dedication
Sergeant Shamar Thomas (photo source)
Sergeant Shamar Thomas is a veteran marine sergeant who stood up to a hoard of NYPD officers in militarized gear that were preparing to assault protesters at Occupy Wall Street. His heroic stand caused the officers to back-down and retreat and immediately became one of the most memorable moments of the Occupy Wall Street protest. This Memorial Day, we salute him! Here’s the video of his face-off with NYPD.
Click here for a complete list of The People’s Record’s Memorial Day dedications.
(Source: thepeoplesrecord)
NYPD Loses OWS Trail After Video Evidence Proved They Made False Arrests
Hundreds have been arrested during the Occupy Wall Street protests, but photographer Alexander Arbuckle’s case was the first to go to trial – and after just two days, the Manhattan Criminal Court found him not guilty.
Arbuckle was arrested on New Year’s Day for allegedly blocking traffic during a protest march. He was charged with disorderly conduct, and his arresting officer testified under oath that he, along with the protesters, was standing in the street, despite frequent requests from the police to move to the sidewalk
But things got a little embarrassing for the NYPD officer when the defense presented a video recording of the entire event, made by well-known journalist Tim Pool.
Pool’s footage clearly shows Arbuckle, along with all the other protesters, standing on the sidewalk. In fact, the only people blocking traffic were the police officers themselves.
His lawyers said the video proving that testimony false is what swayed the judge, and the verdict a clear indication that the NYPD was over-policing the protests.
Weird.
If you’re shocked, you’re not paying attention.
![fotojournalismus:
A protester associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement is arrested while marching through traffic in lower Manhattan on May 1, 2012 in New York City.
[Credit : Spencer Platt/Getty Images]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3eioaOURW1r44q44o1_500.jpg)
A protester associated with the Occupy Wall Street movement is arrested while marching through traffic in lower Manhattan on May 1, 2012 in New York City.
[Credit : Spencer Platt/Getty Images]
Hedi Fatah, a 22 year old from Tunisia, joined today’s rally after his first of taste of democracy back home.
“This walk is already a victory (for the 99 percent)…I hope for the future of (America).”
He is here visiting family and will go back to Tunisia soon, but he hopes the March sends the same types of message the Arab Spring did:
“People aren’t going to be quiet.”(Photo: Ryan Gorman / NYDN)
things brand new people should know about poc criticism of the occupy movement
this
this post about indigenous activist criticisms of occupy that came out in october;
the decolonize oakland website;
the occupy wall street poc commitee;
in front and center: critical voices of the 99%;
brown power at occupy wall street about poc activists working to change the language of the original ows declaration.
tequila sovereign with some background about occupy oakland’s interaction with indigenous activists
