August 31, 2004
Protests Boil Over
A dispatch from indymedia:
07:45 PM OVERVIEW OF CURRENT SITUATION: Action is taking place all over the city. There are 3 main points, where events are unfolding - 16th street and Irving (near Union Sq.): mass arrests are imminent, reports of beatings and people not being allowed to leave. Herald Square (6th ave. between 34th and 36th): people are being beaten, pepper sprayed and contained. 28th and Broadway: War Resisters League has been holding a die-in of 50 people in the middle of the street.
And, a bit later:
10:18 PM An IMC reporter says he sees a white police armored humvee vehicle that he suspects may be an acoustical weapon at Union Square. A dispersal order has been given. Cops at the north end of the square have nets, telling people they must go south to leave.
By the time it was all over, about 1,000 people had been arrested on Tuesday.
It seems very much like once the police decide to arrest someone, they arrest everybody. There were many stories of protest groups coming to ad hoc agreemeents with police, only to have those agreements get unilaterally cancelled, which resulted in hundreds of arrests of people on weak charges like blocking the sidewalk or so-called "disorderly conduct," even when no one but the protesters are around.
I think the mass arrests may be intended to send a message to would-be protesters, sitting at home and deciding whether to show up, that if you come, you better be prepared to get arrested. I think this is sad, because people should be able to feel confident that if they express their opinion in a peaceful way, they won't be arrested. Before the convention, Bloomberg had promised that protesters would be welcome, but how can they feel welcome when 1,500 mostly peaceful protesters have been arrested?
Gothamist has been doing a great job assembling photobloggers' pictures of the protests.
categories:
Special Events: RNC 2004
posted by adm at August 31, 2004 8:27 PM
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