CactusBoyScout t1_jai37ut wrote
Reply to comment by 139_LENOX in New York Will Pay Millions to Protesters Violently Corralled by Police by mowotlarx
I was at some of the protests that these lawsuits center around.
The NYPD had hundreds of officers in riot gear responding to peaceful protestors marching while actual looting took place maybe a mile away in Soho.
Conservatives like to conflate the two (protests and looting) but what I witnessed was completely peaceful protestors being attacked by police (charging at us in riot gear, knocking people down, hitting them, and arresting them) while store windows were being smashed with no police response a short distance away by organized groups.
I think it’s pretty obvious that the police wanted the looting to happen to discredit the protests. And that getting a chance to attack people who were criticizing them was just the cherry on top.
Silvery_Silence t1_jai6ap6 wrote
The nytimes has excellent reporting on all the police violence during the protests and they have the receipts. Tons of videos of cops literally assaulting protestors who aren’t a breaking any laws, some are literally doing nothing just standing there. It was horrendous.
MuchWalrus t1_jaio2ps wrote
I'd really like to see that, do you have a link by chance?
BooflessCatCopter t1_jalxd6r wrote
Before i recount this experience i just want to clarify i know that many, many others have had it much much worse and my heart goes out to them. I was super lucky, but at the same time never a trouble maker and just wanted to keep a low profile, peacefully participate/march, listen to speakers and observe.
I’ve experienced just what you described years ago in 2011 at Liberty Plaza, (Zuccotti Park). I’m a quiet person, much more so at that time. I had no signs, no offensive t-shirt or clothing, no long hair, no amplifying devices, no drugs, wasn’t drinking, they weren’t making an announcement, closing down the park for night. It wasn’t racial, we were the same race. I racked my brain for a long time after, analyzing what reason this officer had to do what he did. I have no idea to this day why this white shirt chose me, but it was super weird and surreal just like much of Occupy Wall Street was.
I was standing in one of the concrete brick bench circles, (i don’t know if they are still there or if the park has been given a makeover), at the NE corner of the park. A white shirt officer walked up to me inside that circle and i had no where to go, i was backed up against the bench. All he did was stand still, right in front of me, look me right in the eyes and stare, inches away, for what seemed like an eternity. I must have made a gesture looking behind me to try to show that I don’t have anywhere to go, but that didn’t faze this guy at all.
I can’t remember what else i did except just stand there and wait until he gave up on whatever his goal was. No words were even exchanged. I wanted to show this ape that I wasn’t afraid and would not take the bait. I kept my mouth shut and patiently waited and i either squeezed backward, awkwardly climbing out of that pinned position, scraping up my shoes or he walked away. I mostly just remember being pinned, the stare with arms crossed, silence and looking down at me like i was a cockroach.
WickhamAkimbo t1_jal2ykz wrote
My personal experiences at a dozen different protests involved watching cops being goaded and belittled by protestors and not responding. I only saw professional behavior the entire time in Lower Manhattan. The protestors were sometimes aggressive, but I never saw anyone break the law on either side. I've seen a few videos of NYPD abuse, but it didn't seem to be the norm at various protests by any stretch of the imagination.
Silvery_Silence t1_jam52sg wrote
Cool well there is more than enough video and other evidence to prove many cops literally assaulted protestors when there was no cause so your experience doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
WickhamAkimbo t1_jankihk wrote
I didn't say that it didn't happen, it provably did. I very much question the idea that it occurred with enough regularity to justify throwing the entire NYPD under the bus.
Silvery_Silence t1_jant65y wrote
Lol there are tons of videos. I posted the link somewhere else in this thread. But if you want to doubt vídeo evidence feel free. Because cops are so good at accountability right? They didn’t get thrown under the bus give me a break. Police brutality helps no one including the police force.
WickhamAkimbo t1_jaoayxq wrote
I just said that I don't doubt the evidence. I doubt that it represents a majority of NYPD behavior or anywhere near enough frequency to judge the entire police force. I'm happy to see evidence used to hold individual officers accountable and punish bad actors.
Silvery_Silence t1_japelhk wrote
This is only one incident and involved hundreds of protestors lol. But yeah tell me again how this isn’t a systemic police problem.
WickhamAkimbo t1_japl404 wrote
Happy to give it a watch and give a more detailed response tomorrow. Off the bat, not super impressed with HRW's language covering the incident, which is just excessively biased in favor of protestors with apparently no interest in covering the events dispassionately and accurately. Maybe that's to be expected from a group that probably considers itself pretty anti-cop.
Yes, I don't think the NYPD have a systemic problem with excessive use of force. I interacted with them too many times in too many contexts for your claim to be statistically possible. I saw consistent use restraint in their actions and justifiable force when it was deployed. The abuse from dozen-plus protests I saw was coming solely from protestors (in the form of verbal abuse). That's an actually accurate accounting coming from someone that doesn't really prefer one group over the other.
Silvery_Silence t1_jawirq8 wrote
Haha, it’s the good old “my anecdotal experience is definitely more relevant and true than literally multiple investigations finding widespread abuse of power during the BLM protests of 2020.” You don’t want actual sources. You just want to pretend you’re right.
The HRW source was one source only. How about the gigantic payout/settlement? Pretty sure they wouldn’t settle a case they were confident about winning. I also posted a link to dozens of videos of cops bearing people up, sometimes the person being assaulted is merely standing there doing nothing before.
Police brutality apologists aren’t my thing.
Silvery_Silence t1_japdsda wrote
It was very widespread. No one said it was the “entire force”, do you know how large the force is? You seem mighty quick to absolve “the police.” It was absolutely widespread this has been widely reported as well as investigated. But yeah totally just a few bad apples. Let me know if you need any more receipts of this well documented failure at pretty much all levels to the police response here. There were multiple investigations that found widespread police abuse and look at that, only this week the nypd is about to pay a record settlement over their actions.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/14/nyregion/nypd-george-floyd-protests.html
- An independent New York City police review board has recommended that the department punish dozens of officers for excessive use of force and other alleged misconduct during protests that followed the 2020 murder of George Floyd, according to a report released on Monday.
“Among the complaints, officers were found to have used batons and pepper spray on peaceful protesters in 140 instances. Dozens of allegations of abuse of authority, including officers refusing to identify themselves, concealing their badges and making false or misleading statements, were also substantiated, the report by Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) said.”
Silvery_Silence t1_jape3zw wrote
Does hundreds of victims of violence that the nypd is about to settle with mean anything to you? Is that not widespread enough to signal systemic problems with the force?
libananahammock t1_jal5o8j wrote
Any videos?
WickhamAkimbo t1_jankdm6 wrote
Videos that I took yes, although I don't intend to upload them publicly. Many of the protestors that spoke to me asked me not to upload it.
Awkward-Painter-2024 t1_jaiangz wrote
It got Adams elected... It swung NYC congressional districts Red. Fuck the NYPD.
LoneStarTallBoi t1_jaklzxd wrote
The Cop Cycle:
Step 1: Blame high crime(existence of high crime unnecessary) on an insufficiently deferent city and demand more money.
Step 2: Get massive check
Step 3: Do nothing
Step 4: Return to Step 1.
casicua t1_jai9cme wrote
Conservatives obtusely conflating peaceful protests and looting is such a fundamental part of their playbook these days it’s laughable. Anyone with half a working brain cell can see right through it - but unfortunately it’s an effective tactic when courting their MAGA cult of idiots to get further in lockstep against progressives.
-SoItGoes t1_jaivnil wrote
They just equate skin color with peace.
Black people exist? Violent. Mobs of white people attacking police and attempting to kill politicians? Peaceful
ifiwereaplatypus t1_jajxpyf wrote
MAGA cult of idiots, if only.
“I’m a moderate Democrat but protestors really should learn to respect the officers in blue.”
“Gosh that’s horrible, it was a really dangerous time to be outside at night anyways. Why are they provoking the police?? Let them do their jobs.”
Roll eye so they join the space x train all the way around the globe and back.
OrangeSlimeSoda t1_jak3unp wrote
This happened in cities across America. Police intentionally took on the peaceful protestors because (1) they're less likely to fight back; (2) allowing the looting to continue helps spread fear and support for police; and (3) arresting peaceful protestors helps to conflate rioting and protesting.
Least-Cry-7317 t1_jak22se wrote
What time were you out protesting till? The rioting didn’t start till very late
[deleted] t1_jaksr09 wrote
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[deleted] t1_jal1fnl wrote
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bangbangthreehunna t1_jakhfer wrote
The Bronx mass arrest was in response to Fordham Road being a legit riot. It was more than just Soho
WickhamAkimbo t1_jal2lxy wrote
I went to about a dozen protests in Lower Manhattan, half of them after dark, and saw largely peaceful protestors as well as professional cops. I saw protestors behaving aggressively, provocatively, maliciously, but ultimately legally, and I saw cops that didn't react and allowed the protestors to voice their opinions... loudly. Protestors also successfully occupied the northeast corner of the block around City Hall for over a month.
I think this represents the vast majority of the protester and police interactions during that time period, as much as each extreme refuses to believe it.
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