NYPD: Arrests In ‘Occupy Wall Street’ Protest Justified

September 24, 2011 11:59 PM

Occupy Wall Street arrests (credit: CBS 2)

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Police arrested protesters near Union Square Park in the “Occupy Wall Street” march on Saturday.

“There were approximately 80 arrests, mainly for disorderly conduct by individuals who blocked vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and also for resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration, and, in one instance, for assault on a police officer,” Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne told WCBS 880′s Alex Silverman.

LISTEN: 1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck reports

Protesters have been occupying Wall Street to voice their frustration with both the economy and Wall Street.

For a week, protesters have been living on pizza and sleeping on wet sleeping bags in Zuccotti Park, where the march began. It proceeded uptown along Broadway toward Washington Square Park before moving farther to Union Square Park.

“It’s been pretty rough,” protester Ignati Walsh told 1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck. “The police, they’re trying to do whatever they can to get us out of here.

“It’s been great. We’re still here, and I think we’re still here because of our resolve to stay nonviolent. We’ve had people from all over the world send in donations,” protester Justin said.

“We’re not here to make life more difficult. We’re here to help empower you to take on the real enemy, which is the greedy corporate hedgefunders and bankers on Wall Street that are making life more difficult for everybody here,” Justin added.

Police moved in with large rolls of orange mesh, corralling some of the participants and binding hands with plastic zip ties.

“We’re fighting for what we believe in, and we’re not going to give up until our demands are met,” Walsh said.

Samantha Gonzalez says she spent hours searching police precinct stationhouses or her older sister Christina, who was taken into custody.

“There were about eight cops on her that threw her to the ground,” she told CBS 2′s Dave Carlin. “To arrest someone because they are doing something wrong is one thing but when people are peacefully protesting.”

The NYPD, on the record, called every arrest justified.

“”There were approximately 80 arrests, mainly for disorderly conduct by individuals who blocked vehicular and pedestrian traffic, but also for resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and, in one instance, for assault on a police officer,” the NYPD said in a statement.

Some spectators told CBS 2 they were glad to see police out in force.

“Yeah they have their batons out, they have all these nets out and everything, but they’re here to protect us,” said tourist Kimberly England from Salt Lake City.

One demonstrator, Eric, showed CBS 2 marks on his wrists and face, the results of what he calls police brutality.

“By my belt and the back of my shirt, picked me up and threw me over a bench,” he said.

After viewing CBS 2 and Youtube videos of the arrests, former NYPD officer and security expert Bill Stanton said it appears to him police behaved legally and responsibly.

“With law enforcement you have mace as a deterrent against danger. When you feel your safety or someone else’s safety is in danger that’s a deterrent and that may be what happened,” he said.

What do you think of the protest? Sound off in our comments section below…

NYPD: Arrests In Occupy Wall Street Protest Justified

Gernan engineering irony

buy an AUDI already
Pedro P. Coniconde

I believe that the arrests were unjustifiable and they are just there to protest for our rights and their rights as well since we are continually being short changed by Wall Street in terms of providing decent jobs for the Unemployed masses.

DOUBLE_CHINNED_PUPPETEER

Pedro, I have news for you, Wall Street is a street, it’s not a company that hires people.

Pedro P. Coniconde

Its just a loosely used term for Corporate America.

Jason

Well it’s a stupid term. Wall St and Corporate America are not interchangeable. Oh and by the way, if you want “Wall St” or “Corporate America” to provide jobs then why not campaign against your beloved Obama and his administration, who have done everything they can to inhibit the engines of wealth creation from creating new jobs. You complain that “the rich” won’t create jobs, while in the same breath you people are calling for higher taxes from the rich, money which would be put to better use creating jobs in the private sector than being shoveled into the sinkhole of a liberal government.

Pedro P. Coniconde

@Jason maybe you yourself are one of those luckier few who were privileged enough and have the sense of entitlement that never had gotten laid-off in your entire working life and lucky you. The way I perceived your reply borders on arrogance and probably you work for the financial institutions who were responsible for the financial meltdown. The typical arrogant response that I hope one of these days that you will be on the receiving end of our plight and finally I hope that you will get a taste of your bitter medicine and you will understand finally how it feels to be in our shoes. Its individuals like you which makes us want to fight harder for our causes and we surely don’t need you to tell us what to do since you are already defending your guilt.

Jason

Privileged? I have no educational qualifications to speak of. I came to this country 15 years ago with next to nothing. I worked some low paid jobs for a while and then started my business, which still continues to this day and currently employs 38 people. I don’t work for a financial institution, but I appreciate the role they have played in keeping capital flowing and making it available to both start ups and expanding businesses alike. I am not guilty in the slightest, I am part of the economy and create jobs. How many jobs have you created in your lifetime? I have worked my fingers to the bone, often 12 hour days 7 days a week in order to keep my business going, so I’m not about to sit back and let a snot nosed lefty like you call me “guilty.” Nobody is guaranteed the same job for life and nobody’s skills are guaranteed to be worth something to society forever. Industry changes, technology changes, the market changes. You have to be continually on your toes and be prepared to learn new skills to compete. Your “plight”? You don’t have a plight. Kids who live on garbage tips in Rio have a “plight.” Families who exist on a miserable subsistence in India have a “plight.” You don’t know the meaning of the word.

Pedro P. Coniconde

You are very condescending, I am not even going to dignify that with a response.You made some points with legitimate merits here but your condescending attitude by putting down my meaning of plight here is definitely unwarranted here.
Pedro P. Coniconde

If you are going to resort to ugly name calling then you have definitely wage a war with me you conceited A-HOLE!

food for though

Pay attention to the fact that major corporations are already not paying taxes (GE zero taxes 2010), they are allowed to freely take their industry to countries that have such low standards of living that we couldn’t possibly compete with them and Wall Street is no longer connected to the health and well being of the businesses represented. Your commentary is old school and may have been more true in the age when wealth paid very high proportions of their income in taxes, but it is not related to the realities of this era. Take a look at what they really pay out, what they really bring in and how laws have been structured, restructured and removed to enable them to serve themselves regardless of the impact on our society. Forget all the comments here… go do the research and decide for yourself.

Jason

What are you talking about? “Wealth” pay a very high rate of their income in taxes. They pay a higher percentage rate, plus the top 0.1% pay more in taxes than the bottom 80%. Also, corporations consist of people, all of whom pay taxes. When the corporation itself is landed with a tax bill, guess who pays it? The consumers, being that it is another business expense which is passed along to the paying customer. Of course the poor are disproportionately affected by corporate taxes and other taxes on businesses. The revenue of the government almost completely depends on the rich to keep creating wealth for it, and all you lefties do is demonize the rich. Enough is enough.

Biff Rick

Business 101 from Professor I-don’t-know-what-I-am-talking-about. Maybe you should go to school and learn. Oh wait, learning and speaking facts would turn you into a lib.

All Hail the ignorance.

Nyc

Cops are thieves with licenses serving their wall street masters. They are there to serve the rich and powerful. Our government is full of rhitorics but no longer serves the people. we need to be heard!

Jason

Wow, that sure was a hackneyed grab-bag of cliched left wing bromides wasn’t it! Well done.

Nyc

I am just a traditional conservative sick and tired of squeezing by big government, big corporations and special interests. I support a smaller government and controlling the runaway government spending, at the same time I despite the wall street fat-cats. There you go, neither the Democrats or the Republicans can fix this country and lead us to salvation. They are the same evil in different flavor.
Wake up America, think outside of the box. Dont you see that both Republican and Democrat have been screwing us for way too long?!

Biff Rick

No Nyc, Jason said you are a liberal, so you are a liberal. After all, he knows best.

In all seriousness, I understand your dislike for Ds and Rs. I believe that the strong party system has caused a lot of problems. But we can get this back on track. What we need to do is listen and understand the issues. We must not vote for candidates that use buzzwords to get out of honest discussions.
People like Jason use easy catch-phrases because they do not understand the issues, such as tax reform. They scream that they want regulation that is business friendly, but even though eliminating tax loopholes and lowing the corporate tax rate would lessen uncertainty for businesses, they cannot get behind it because they are told it is class warfare.

People like Jason believe that roads should be privatized. This is because he believes in business. But he has never studied business. He cannot comprehend that some things need to be paid for by the gov’t .

People like Jason go to work and work hard. And should be given the due respect for this. But they should understand that we do not look for them for answers, because they are not even articulate enough to explain their own world view without inconsistencies.

Nyc

I am all for fair competition. It is just not fair to have the rich and powerful trying to silence the socially disadvantage groups while the powerful fat-cats controll the government.
Time to let the main street be heard. When I say main street, I dont mean the unions for crying out loud.

another sheep

my fellow Americans, please don’t protest just bend down for the government to stick it up u know where.. we have to do all what our government wants us to do. take away our rights one by one, harbor Muslims from all over the world, send our most needed dollars to israel but it is okay, it is our government and we are just sheep. pple wake up
cdog

80 arrests = News Coverage!!!!
sk

first of all, its not wall street! there are plennty “wall street” busineses that have lost alot of money since the economy collapsed! second, our fedral government has not done so much to help the economy either! just you have liberals who can’t blame hwere the problem really is! last, eventually these protesters will be the first people out of college looking for a big job on WALL STREET! they will forget about all the comotion they caused!
John Gulbunnie

A peaceful protest is too threatening to the monied elite taking NYC from the people. And THIS is our response? The city’s “finest” in action:

DEMAND FRONT PAGE COVERAGE!
James

I work near Zuccotti Park and these kids have been there all week. Most of the time it is just street theater, but there are a small number of hotheads among them who are itching for a fight with the police. Each day, as they realize that no one is listening to them, they get more extreme in their acts. By the way, whoever said they are NYU students there on mom and dad’s dime is absolutely right. If you ask people in the area who are actually workers (doormen, store chshiers, construction workers,secretaries and so on) they think the demonstrators are a bunch of spoiled college kkids, and they’re right.

maya

So? Does that invalidate their cause, or something?
Keryn Lundgren

and what about those of us who are out here protesting who have already graduated college, have gainful employment, but still recognize there is a huge problem with social equality and the financial system? where’s the flaw in our ideology? And why does it have to break down to bashing “liberals”? why not sit down with one of us and have an honest, decent, HUMAN conversation about why we are out here, you might find out there is some commonality between us.
Keryn Lundgren

that bs. i’ve been at the protests all week and we’ve strived for a peaceful demonstration at all times. are the vast majority of protesters young? yes. passionate? absolutely. but i have met people this week that are younger, older, blacker, whiter, poorer, and richer, and all of recognize that the system we are living in is dysfunctional and needs to change. why don’t you come down and have a conversation with some of us or better join in our general assembly discussions. you might come away with a different perspective.

cdog

the founders didn’t leave us the right to bear arms for no reason. patty cake isn’t going to stop the Millitary industrial machine. if you have big demonstrations and mass arrrests you will have riots….this is 2011…Im down with peacful demonstrations, however …i question the premise. when it comes down, its going to be hell. right wing crazies, left wing crazies,gangsters, sheeple, millitary, police, bankers . you will pay a price…. a heavy price to be free from the system which enslaves us,…or secures your workforce and fills your bank account, whichever side you are on.

cdog

anyone ready to douse with gasoline and light? I bet there’s 100 who’ve already killed themselves quietly…

Kathy B

I guessing you stopped taking your meds ?

cdog

your damn right i don’t take no meds fool

cdog

id love to see this thing get big and violent
just big would be ok…but fin a mates were all gunna take it up tha A here over the next couple of years…virtual peasants vs the machine, with only #sand small arms on our side
cdog

id love to see this thing get big and violent

Jason

Me too, it would give some of these dumb overprivileged young liberal azzwipes their first taste of prison.

cdog

I’d love to see you with a boot up your @zz ..
(.probably one there already)

Jason

Keep your sick sexual fantasies to yourself.

Biff Rick

What a surprise. I would love to teach you hicks about law, business, and the international markets. It would be great if we could educate you. Then you would not be a drag on our economy,
Tim Dabringhaus

Jason, In which century do you live??

jim

freedom? human rights? America is not any different than China

Jason

I suggest you reconsider what is essentially a statement of complete and utter stupidity. Perhaps you’d like to go and live under communist oppression for a few years to find out just how lucky you are to live in such a privileged country as America.

John McG

I am a NYC high school teacher. I work all week and Sundays. Friday night through Saturday morning i spend my free time trying to end coporate control of my government. I have a degree in economics and another degree in political science. As you see I have both a job and knowledge of the subject. The transnational banks and hedge funds have no allegiance to any country and exist only to make profit. They use a small part of their profit to buy politicians who write laws for them making it easier for them to manipulate markets to make more obscene profits. It is an endless cycle that is sucking all resources from the world economy. Is anyone really ten thousand times smarter than you, or work ten thousand times harder? We are regular people who see that a future where corporations are persons with more rights than real people and no responsibility as unsustainable.

tomahawk

Public employee Unions use a small part of their profit to buy politicians who write laws for them making it easier for them to get obsene raises. It is an endless cycle that is sucking all resources from our government.
A working man

Being a teacher does not necessarily win you the 1st place in the popularity contest. You have a privilege of a guaranteed work and benefits that has to be paid by the private citizens even if you decide to molest their children. you are protected by the laws that were passed because your union has extraordinary powers by “buy politicians who write laws for them”. Because of this, if you are a bad teacher, there is no way to reward you, if you are bad – no way to punish you. Now, if you are so smart and educated as you claim to be, why don’t you and your cronies in you spare time (it looks like you have a lot) write a meaningful and realistic program of economic and political reform and share it with the rest of us? There is certainly enough popular longing for such a program, that you would have a chance though the normal political process. Especially if your unions backs you up. Or would you rather fight for human rights the way British rioters do: by robing stores and burning buses?

Big Kahuna

First you want to argue that only unemployed bratty kids are protesting, then when someone isn’t “one of them” you find a way to discredit their comment. Nice move Putin. Run for president again.

Biff Rick

Well put BK.

jerseyjoey

Wonder what tony bennet has to say about this.
John Butchko

@ Gerry Smith. The law they were breaking is the one that state you need a permit for any march on a city street,
@Joe. I was there, and maybe you should show that beginning of the video where she verbally berates and attacks the cop.
I left the march after they did major damage in Washington Square and hit some guy who made the mistake of wearing a suit… This wasn’t a real protest, it was just an excuse. The majority of the “protesters” are NYU students going there on mommy and daddy’s dime….

Big Kahuna

The law they were breaking is the one that state you need a permit for any march on a city street,
They used that excuse to beat kids in the street in Thompkins Square in 92. Eventually the whole corrupt 9th precint got kicked out.
@I was there, and maybe you should show that beginning of the video where she verbally berates and attacks the cop.
Which is when she should be arrested. Macing a group of people behind a fence you have just built is called slaughter.
I left the march after they did major damage in Washington Square and hit some guy who made the mistake of wearing a suit… This wasn’t a real protest, it was just an excuse. The majority of the “protesters” are NYU students going there on mommy and daddy’s dime…
That’s what they said about Kent State – easy to dismiss everything until there are dead children with their blood on your distasteful and ignorant comments.

buck w

who the f— are you george lurye? probly another rich, arrogant banker. outcast? really, are a king of some country or royalty? obey what law? should we all sit back and let the filthy rich f— us?

George Lurye

I’m an Enduring Freedom veteran, a New Yorker, an immigrant and someone who works for a living.

A.M.

I would be ashamed to let my daughter or son, or mother, father protest there by themselves. Where is the support???? There are opportunities for cowards who believe in the cause….stand back and shine lights on the subjects, take pictures, talk with people about the history of democracy in our nation, bring band aids, hand sanitizer, bring water! I wish I could be there to help!
tomahawk

communists
joe

NYPD penning women like cattle and macing them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moD2JnGTToA&feature=channel_video_title

George Lurye

Women or not, obey the law or get the penalty.

Gerry Smith

what law are they breaking?

maya

rebelling against our pimps.
George Lurye

1. Unlawful assembly (without permit.)
2. Causing a public disturbance.
3. Assault
4. Assault on a Police Officer
5. Resisting arrest.
6. Public endangerment.

I’m sure the list is actually much longer than what I’ve listed, but the point is made. The end does NOT justify the means.

Big Kahuna

George Lurye threw his voice while gurgling water and said

1. Unlawful assembly [You must mean "walking down the street"]
2. Causing a public disturbance. [aka Talking]
3. Assault [Standing still]
4. Assault on a Police Officer [Standing still next to a cop]
5. Resisting arrest. [Standing still next to a cop and saying the word "no"]
6. Public endangerment. [Yes, we are all in danger now, George]

You of course forget Kent State. Doubt it’s coming back? Don’t hold your breath. Children murdered in the streets, again.
Biff Rick

George,

You obviously know nothing about law. Gov’t has no right to limit peaceful assembly in a public venue. And using the excuse that it is causing a public disturbance does not qualify the gov’t to limit peaceful assembly.

I saw no assault, nor did you. It was not there. If it happened earlier, then is the time to arrest, as Big Kahuna said. But you still refuse to respond to this point. An arrest must be justified in order for a citizen to resist it. And I saw nothing that shows public endangerment, except the shameful police officer that sprayed mace and hit his own officers.

janeen

Our children and grandchildren deserve better than this – we worked hard to promise and make their lives better and because of the fraud, forgery, greed, etc.. – they are suffering despite them playing by the educational and moral rules because of Wall Street. Shame on all of you. Wall Street should be arrested and imprisoned.
Thank you protestors for being on the front lines. Godspeed!
Jill Fletcher

I think that these are people who are protesting a system they don’t understand. they want to bring things down just to do it. Killing the stock market would ruin us in world trade. They use their visa atms, they use their apple tech. Like the NY Times article had a broker that mentioned that they probably don’t even understand the giant Apple is at $400 a share.

Glitchy

Jill, you really have no idea what their agenda is…do you? It’s not to destroy wallstreet, or destroy anything. It’s a protest to stop having wallstreet control our government and a late protest regarding the bailouts going to bankers instead of going where it needed to be.

If you are seriously that uneducated about this situation, get informed. Understand their position…then make an educated opinion based off solid facts. Don’t just start slandering these brave people for finally making a stand against corruption and corporatism.

John Butchko

Glitchy,
I was like you, and thought that their position was a legitimate protest against corporate greed, so I was part of the march. Unless you were there, please don’t defend tham or say ANYTHING to someone who makes a comment like Jill’s. The marchers were a bunch of NYU kids (yes, with iPhones and iPads…) who were more likekly looking for a riot. End of story. Go down to Wasington Square park and ask the people there what happened today, and why an ambulance had to come. Learn something firsthand BEFORE you make any comment.

maya

It’s not “end of story” and who are you to speak for people and control what other people say?
Big Kahuna

NYU kids, with iphones _must_ inherently be looking for a riot. Okay sure. First of all, they have those items because they are icons of their generation, not objects of wealth. Demanding your government do something is always within your rights unless you live in a communist state. Are you a communist?

Jason

If these protests were really about ending the cronyism between government and Wall St then they would be protesting in Washington outside of the White House, with Obama as their target. But they’re not. It’s just another whiny left wing protest against the rich, mainly by rich kids who will themselves be working for hedge funds and corporations in a few years time.

Tim Dabringhaus

In a few years time hedge funds and corporations won’t exist anymore. Or: humanity won’t exist anymore. Jason did you ever hear about evolution? A new way of seeing the world is getting born all over the globe. If you can’t see it …I feel sorry for you.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HUMAN HISTORY we are seperated only by one thing: the ones that SEE the consequences of our life-form, and the ones that DON’T (WANT TO) SEE, because they are just blind or because they are afraid of losing privileges.

Whatever, in a world ruled by love, and not fear, any sort of privilege will be just used to give and multiply love.

So to all the ones that are afraid of losing their privileges: you will win beyond measure the moment you let go of your fear. The more you will give, the more you will receive!

Heckyeah

Awesome! Keep at it, the world needs you to straighten out your country!
Anonymouse

http://www.livestream.com/newchannel/popoutplayer?channel=globalrevolution

DemOmaN

Been with the Live Link all Day.. Everyone Join us.. 7000 viewers

russ

WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!
hyp3rcrave

Occupy Wall Street wishes accountability for corporate malfeasance and money out of politics.

George Lurye

All they wish is to create trouble for society which they don’t feel they are a part of. Unfortunately, these individuals don’t want to be a part of any society. They enjoy being outcasts.

JGCitygin

Outcasts of WHAT????? Corruption at a monstrous level???
Count me out any day.
Count me in with morality, decency and fairness.
What we have is an increasingly fascist state masquerading as “liberty”. This is not run by real Americans, but by strangers to our heritage. Even the food we eat is deliberately tainted by monsters like Monsanto, who “bioengineer” our corn and our soybeans. Monsters who refuse to keep their borders from expanding into and tainting the small farmers who don’t bioengineer, so the table of “The Great Jehovah” is corrupted through and through.
Convenient to label these young folks “liberal” to avoid seeing the BIG problem for what is truly is: in all its hideousness.
GOD bless America, and deliver New York.

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September 24, 2011 11:59 PM

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