At an Occupy Wall Street protest today in the World Financial Center, New York Police Department officers, some in riot gear, began arresting protestors by slamming them onto the highly-polished marble floors. A veteran and credentialed New York Times photographer, with a press pass around his neck, was repeatedly physically prohibited from photographing the arrests and police activity, so much so that he stopped attempting to take photographs and instead whipped out his cell phone camera and began to video record the police actions, while demanding the officer’s name and badge number. At one point on the video, you can see him accusing the police officer of lying.
This is certainly not the first time the NYPD has interfered with the First Amendment rights of journalists. And note the presence of NYPD officers wearing jackets that have TARU printed on the back. TARU, or Technical Assistance Response Unit officers are charged with the recording of actions undertaken by police and protestors during demonstrations. Many are wondering if today’s actions, among others, is a violation of the Handschu agreement.
Gothamist notes the photographer appears to be Robert Stolarik, for the New York Times. Stolarik has been covering Occupy Wall Street extensively, and was one of the few journalists who was able to remain in Zuccotti Park during the November 14 raid. His photos of today’s action appear with the article.
The New York Times article adds:
At least 17 Occupy Wall Street protesters were arrested on Monday at the World Financial Center, whose owner, Brookfield Properties, also owns Zuccotti Park, the public space where the protesters maintained an encampment for two months before being cleared by the police in mid-November.
“We thought we would come over and give Brookfield a direct message,†said Bill Dobbs, an Occupy Wall Street organizer.
…
Soon police officers arrived. A man wearing a suit, who would not say who he worked for announced: “If you do not leave, you will be arrested.â€
A police commander said the man worked for Brookfield. A spokeswoman for the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A few minutes later, officers began herding protesters down a wide staircase in the atrium and pushed them toward a door. At one point, several officers pounced on a man on the ground. A moment later, officers chased another man through the atrium, cornering him near glass windows and arresting him.
Most of the protesters and several news reporters and photographers were pushed outside. But about 10 men and 7 women were placed in handcuffs inside the atrium, then removed and placed in police vehicles.
Once again, the NYPD is at the center of questionable practices, including possible violations of the First Amendment, a direct result of both Ray Kelly’s poor leadership and support of para-military tactics, and Mayor Bloomberg, whose third term has been nothing but an embarrassment to himself and to liberty.
The video is rife with concerning NYPD actions, as you can see one woman early on tells the cops to not touch her. But start watching very carefully at the two-minute mark, and watch through all the way to the end.