Mass Arrests on the Brooklyn Bridge: Is This What Civil Disobedience Looks Like?

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/10/02-6

Yesterday there were mass arrests of Occupy Wall Street protesters—700 or more—on the Brooklyn Bridge. As over a thousand marchers made their way toward the bridge a few minutes after 3 p.m., they split into two groups. Some followed members of the Direct Action Committee who led the way up the elevated pedestrian walkway in the middle of the bridge. Another group, however, broke away and took to the Brooklyn-bound road on the bridge’s south side, eventually filling the whole roadway so that no traffic could get through. The front row of them locked arms and proceeded. At first, police had blocked neither entrance.



That was not planned at all,” Direct Action Committee member Sandy Nurse told me, looking down from the pedestrian walkway onto those marching on the roadway. “I think there’s a lot of people in that group that don’t realize what they’re getting into.”

Before the marchers on the roadway reached the first stone tower, and having been led by a phalanx of senior police officers, they were intercepted from the other side. (Even The New York Times offers evidence that the police intended to lure marchers into a trap.) Out came dozens of dark-blue shirted officers with plastic cuffs—actually, cardboard boxes full of them. Some officers unrolled the same type of orange nets they had used the previous Saturday to make nearly 100 arrests, while others lined up opposite the protesters, halted them, and began to apprehend and cuff them, one by one.

For a few minutes, the scene was very tense, as could be observed from above on the pedestrian walkway, where hundreds more marchers were passing by. On the roadway, there were scuffles as some force was used against those being apprehended. “This Is a Peaceful Protest!” people chanted. And: “No! Sleep! Till Brooklyn!“ But soon the whole process assumed the appearance of routine, and, for those waiting to be taken away, of solemn dignity.

More at the link --

[Puregonzo1188]

1. No it's not. I have about 19 friends who were arrested on the Bridge--they had no idea what was

happening. Police led them onto the bridge, then blocked off both entrances, next think they knew they were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

Civil disobedience you generally plan on getting arrested.

[MineralMan]

5. Any time you participate in something like this, you should

be prepared to be arrested. In reality, they were given DATs (Desk Appearance Tickets), something like a traffic ticket, so they weren't hauled off and jailed.

The law that was broken was regarding walking in traffic lanes on the Brooklyn Bridge. Those who were on the walkway (which I've crossed) were not cited. Those who were cited were charged with Disorderly Conduct, a simple violation, rather than a misdemeanor. Charges will probably be dismissed, but unless they are before the appearance date, they need to show up for their appearances, or a warrant will be issued. That can cause problems the next time they deal with a cop.

Those who presented no ID or false ID can safely toss the tickets, since no effort will be expended to find them.

Others may choose to appear, demand a trial or hearing, and clog the system.

When you participate in a mass action, arrest is one of the real possibilities. It's serious business, and everyone should have been aware.

[saras]

8. It's also permissible to be there and not participate, in which case you should risk nothing

It's a civil event, there's no reason for you to postulate any particular risk, you live in New York, and you've got places to go and things to do. You'll just walk by the protest and see what they're up to and what they're saying. That's the purpose of "petition for redress of grievances", after all.

If you get arrested for just being there, the police are out of hand. It's that simple. It's not a riot, where everyone else would reasonably be expected to flee. It's a parade.

[truedelphi]

6. Thank you for this information.

I have a lot of concerns about how the Powers that Be will take on the "responsibility" of seeing that this movement shuts down.

One visit to Dallas on the coming November 22nd, and Obama could be an unwilling victim of the "Occupy Dallas" movement. If he cannot make it to Dallas on that date, another city at another time would work as well, for the Powers that Be. And then anyone who was ever attending such an "Occupy Whatever City" would be labelled a terrorist, and probably the right to have discussions on DU would go away as well.

The usually Lame "POV" TV series had a most excellent documentary about two Texas young adults who got swept up in an FBI-attached "activist's designs to make Molotov cocktails. They never set them off, and wouldn't have made them in the first place without the FBI informant's instructions and encouragement. And they did the jail time while the informant got paid.

"Occupy Whatever City" has equally devious people in place already, no mistaking that notion at all.

[MADem]

2. Perhaps two ideas can be held in the mind at the same time.

1. The front row of them locked arms and proceeded.

Sounds like this front row knew what they were doing.


2. That was not planned at all,” Direct Action Committee member Sandy Nurse told me, looking down from the pedestrian walkway onto those marching on the roadway. “I think there’s a lot of people in that group that don’t realize what they’re getting into.”

Self-explanatory.

[Kurovski]

10. "having been led by a phalanx of senior police officers"

Before the marchers on the roadway reached the first stone tower, and having been led by a phalanx of senior police officers, they were intercepted from the other side. (Even The New York Times offers evidence that the police intended to lure marchers into a trap.)

"Ten cents a dance...that's what they pay me...tough guys who tear-my-gown..."

[Warpy]

3. This is what civil disobedience looks like

with the mass arrests soon overwhelming the system, one of the ways it works.

One of the other ways it works is when the PTB overreact and kill people instead of arresting them. Then the whole nation tends to react with revulsion toward the PTB and a few changes are forced through so that the PTB can stay the PTB.

[MineralMan]

4. That is exactly what it looks like.

Exactly.

[Lizzie Poppet]

7. It's what civil disobedience lite looks like.

Only this time, I actually think the results won't be the usual "everyone eventually gives up, goes home, and nothing ever changes" stuff. I think that if the powers-that-be don't get the message this time, we'll see real civil disobedience. I really hope that doesn't happen, that thee non-violent protests actually accomplish something real...because it will be bloody. =(

[Kurovski]

9. K&R (nt)