Reports Finds 'Widespread Human Rights Violations' In Policing Of Occupy Protests

[Coyote]

Reports Finds 'Widespread Human Rights Violations' In Policing Of Occupy Protests : The Two-Way : NPR

The New York Police Department has shown "a pattern of abusive and unaccountable protest policing" during the Occupy protests, a wide consortium of legal experts detail in a report (PDF) issued today.

The lawyers say NYPD officers violated human rights in hundreds of instances, yet "there has been near-complete impunity for alleged abuses." Only one officer has been disciplined throughout the protests that started last fall.

"The excessive and unpredictable policing of Occupy Wall Street is one more example of the dire need for widespread reform of NYPD practices. These violations are occurring against a backdrop of police infiltration of activist groups, massive stop-and-frisk activity in communities of color, and the surveillance of Muslims," Emi MacLean, a human rights lawyer and primary author of the report, said in a statement. "This report is a call to action."

The report is a the first by the Protest and Assembly Rights Project, which was started by a group of law clinics including The Global Justice Clinic at New York University and the Walter Leitner International Human Rights Clinic at the Fordham Law School.

The New York Times says the 132-page report details some of the famous incidents, like that of Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna pepper-spraying some protesters Sept. 24. But, the report also details other instances of alleged abuse that haven't gotten much media coverage. The Times reports:

"For instance, the report described a cafe employee stepping out of his workplace on Sept. 24 and using a camera to document arrests near Union Square before being confronted by a senior officer. The report went on to state: 'Video then shows the officer grabbing the employee by the wrist, and flipping him hard to the ground face-first, in what was described as a "judo-flip." The employee stated that he was subsequently charged with "blocking traffic" and "obstructing justice".'

"In a more recent episode, Sarah Knuckey, a law professor and one of the report's authors, said she witnessed a police commander grab a man who was complaining of an injured shoulder while being arrested during a student march on May 30. Ms. Knuckey said that the commander repeatedly shoved the man's shoulder while handcuffing him, then cursed and accused him of lying, when he shouted in pain. Shortly afterward, Ms. Knuckey said, emergency medical technicians determined that the man had a broken clavicle."

NYPD has not issued a comment about the report.

The group called for, among other things, the creation on an independent Inspector General for the NYPD and the investigation and prosecution of officers responsible for abuse.

If the NYPD fails to respond to the report, the group said, it will take its complaints to the federal government.

I wonder how this will fall out? I'm sure there will be the predictable proclamations of unwashed public defecating fire bombing anarchist monkeys deserving it.

[AzMike]

Originally Posted by Coyote

Reports Finds 'Widespread Human Rights Violations' In Policing Of Occupy Protests : The Two-Way : NPR



I wonder how this will fall out? I'm sure there will be the predictable proclamations of unwashed public defecating fire bombing anarchist monkeys deserving it.

There won't be any fall out. Protest in a civilized manner and the cops leave you alone. Notice no reports like this from the Tea Party. None, zero, nada.

[Infidel Dog]

Some Progressive, pro-occupy, human rights organization writes a report, and it comes to the conclusion Occupiers are victimized angels. Gee what a surprise.

[cnredd]

Not just with this, but do you notice that activists who make a living criticizing others RARELY (if ever) do a report and submit the findings to be "stellar"?...

It's pretty much always negative...When they look for wrong things, they seem to be 100% in finding them (Whether it actually exists or not is irrelevant)...

I think the country would have a heart attack if they ever saw something like this...

The Association of Social Stuff came out today with a study on stuff and found that things are looking good. The author of the study said "We did an in-depth report on those people, and found them to be a bunch of nice people with no issues with the social stuff. We recommend dealing with them."

That doesn't get their name in many papers, so instead, we get this....

The Association of Finding Things That Suck came out today with a study and found that things suck. The author of the study said "We did an in-depth report on those people, and they suck. It all sucks. Even on the less sucky days, it's still suckier than it's supposed to be. We need this report to be as negative as possible or else they won't print it, so...Everything sucks!"

[SwissMan]

Originally Posted by Coyote

Reports Finds 'Widespread Human Rights Violations' In Policing Of Occupy Protests : The Two-Way : NPR



I wonder how this will fall out? I'm sure there will be the predictable proclamations of unwashed public defecating fire bombing anarchist monkeys deserving it.

well,you sure have a way of characterizing them!
Right on the button!

[GottaGo]

I posted a video, complete and uneditted regarding the pepper spraying incident, if they are both one and the same.

It tells a whole different story from what the Occupy group wanted the public to believe happened. It's on here somewhere.

A employee video taping and a member of a student march. Not Occupiers themselves? Makes the headline a bit suspect that the two examples they list were not Occupiers themselves.

I don't doubt that policing was vigorous, but considering that several of the groups threatened LEOs, in public, on tape and proud of it, did not clean up after themselves, and violated several minor laws regarding obstruction of traffic and pedestrians, failure to file permits, etc., I don't see why a report like this would hold much standing.

[MrLiberty]

When you have crap like this happening what should the police do, stand by and do nothing? Or confront the protesters in order to maintain order?

I'll stand with the cops on this.....

OWS Violence - YouTube

OWS Violence - YouTube

[muriritirwaallahdin]

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[Idealogically Promiscuous]

Originally Posted by Coyote

Reports Finds 'Widespread Human Rights Violations' In Policing Of Occupy Protests : The Two-Way : NPR



I wonder how this will fall out? I'm sure there will be the predictable proclamations of unwashed public defecating fire bombing anarchist monkeys deserving it.

They should have been rounded up and pressure washed, given a copy of the help wanted ads and a ticket for vagrancy along with a bill to assist their cities with clean up of public lands.

**** the Occupiers. They made the Tea Partiers seem tame and sane by comparison. And that's just sick.

[sky dancer]

My theory is the right wingers infiltrated Occupy and did most of the obnoxious acts to discredit the movement.