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Occupy Anniversary: More Cops Than Protesters

42 arrested amid preparations this weekend

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 17, 2012 10:33 AM CDT

(Newser) – Today is the first anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, and hundreds of protesters hit New York City's financial district—but police in riot gear held the upper hand from the start, ABC News reports. Cops used human walls and metal barriers to deter protesters; 42 were arrested over disorderly conduct this weekend as demonstrators tried to restart the movement ahead of the anniversary. Today, 12 people were arrested after sitting on the sidewalk as commuters headed to work.

Yesterday, an organizer said the group planned "acts of non-violent civil disobedience on intersections around Wall Street to basically shut down the morning commute of these Wall Street bankers." Yesterday included a Foley Square concert and civil disobedience workshops. But today, the media appeared to make up a bigger chunk of the crowd than the protesters themselves, ABC notes; at one point, police swept in to break up a press swarm surrounding an arrest. Things quieted down after commuters arrived.

Protesters and police face off during an Occupy Wall Street march, Monday, Sept. 17, 2012, in New York.
Protesters and police face off during an Occupy Wall Street march, Monday, Sept. 17, 2012, in New York.   (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Protestors fill an intersection during an Occupy Wall Street march, Monday, Sept. 17, 2012, in New York.
Protestors fill an intersection during an Occupy Wall Street march, Monday, Sept. 17, 2012, in New York.   (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Police officers lead a man away during an Occupy Wall Street march, Monday, Sept. 17, 2012, in New York.
Police officers lead a man away during an Occupy Wall Street march, Monday, Sept. 17, 2012, in New York.   (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 24 comments
Tat2d2bamuse
Sep 18, 2012 9:51 AM CDT
''Show me what a Police State looks like, this is what a police state looks like''..........When American's feel they can not protest because of Police are being intimidating.  Remember we used to have the right to Protest. The right to assembly Peacefully. To state grievances and be seen and heard.  All of which the OWS camp has done(dont believe me I would dare someone to try me). This is a Tactic to get us to feel we can only shut up.  The truth is, it is an idea.  You can not shut up an idea. Because it is coming from many minds.  And people understand the idea with every ounce of their soul.  We will not give up...until the idea is put in place....for a new America....For a new world. There were/are more then 1100 Occupation like setup's around the world.  All screaming the same thing.  Many of those people risking their lilves to be there. I have Occupy'd since I ran across something about it on the news.  I will continue to ''Occupy'' until the changes that need to be made have been. So, NYPD Thanks for showing up to the party, but you can take off your hideous costumes.  We are people, not a gang of Halloween trick or treater's.  If you pulled off the face shield and set down your pellet gun(or real...ya know whatever gets their attention the fastest)you may see that the other side(protesting)is truly where you want to be........Unless you were purposefully placed on the NYPD/''Bloomberg'' payroll....And you were sent to bring the fight. HAPPY BIRTHDAY OWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW DOES IT FREAKING FEEL TO BE ONE???
getoffmylawn
Sep 17, 2012 8:53 PM CDT
Out of control NYPD crushing any dissent so they can meet their Bloomberg/Kelly quotas with idiotic tickets and arrests.  Felony crime soars in NYC, as does revenue from meaningless arrests and tickets, which is all that matters to this mayor and his Gestapo stooge Chief of Police.
viva_yo
Sep 17, 2012 8:24 PM CDT
Bloomberg runs NYPD as a profit-making business.  Cops are so busy busting people for jaywalking & other minor but fine-able violations to make their summons quotas, they've no time for real crime.  We are left at the mercy of rampant criminality & harassing police.  Demonstrations against Wall St. hit multimillionaire Mayor Bloomberg where he lives, hence the extreme overkill of NYPD against peaceful demonstrators.  Meanwhile, the crystal meth lab operating in the apartment below me for almost 3 yrs. is habitually ignored by police despite pleas to do something about it.  Criminals are so bold now, another crystal meth factory has started up only 5 blocks away!  If you want to commit a felony, NYC is wide-open for exploitation, just don't get caught jaywalking or double parking.  Bloomberg is an elitist, the only people he deems worthy of police protection are the fat cats, the rest of us have NO police protection.
 

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