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Police Looking For Suspects Accused Of Chaining Open Subway Doors For Free Rides

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are trying to find several members of Occupy Wall Street who they say tampered with doors in the subway allowing straphangers to ride for free.

On Wednesday, OWS announced on its website that "a team of activists" opened more than 20 stations in Brooklyn and Manhattan by taping MetroCard readers at turnstiles and propping open emergency exits.

According to the group's website, it was done "in a coordinated response to escalating service cuts, fare hikes, racist policing, assaults on transit workers' working conditions and livelihoods — and the profiteering of the super-rich by way of a system they've rigged in their favor."

OWS says they posted signs reading "Customers Ride For Free" and "Free Entry, No Fares Collected" on flyers that looked to be printed by the MTA.

Occupy Wall Street Subway Signs
Signs posted by Occupy Wall Street inside a subway station telling straphangers they can ride for free on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 (credit: http://occupywallst.org)

Now, police say they are trying to find those responsible and have released surveillance video from three locations where they say the criminal tampering occurred.

Police say suspects wearing masks, hoods and gloves were seen walking into the East 116 Street and Lexington Avenue 6 line subway station, the Beverly Road subway station along the 2/5 lines and the Fort Hamilton Parkway subway station along the F/G line.

Police say the video shows them chaining open the emergency exits inside the stations and then outside the East 116 Street station after they had taken off their masks.

Cops say one videos also shows another man taking pictures of the suspects as they chain open on the doors.

On its website, OWS says no property was damaged.

Anyone with information should call police or Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

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