Violence Escalates at 'Occupy' Protests in New York City - Polidicks

Violence Escalates at 'Occupy' Protests in New York City November 17, 2011 FOX [release][B]DEVELOPING:[/B] A New York City police officer was slashed during Thursday's "Occupy Wall Street" action-- and a second cop was taken to a local hospital with an eye injury-- after clashes between protesters and activists across lower Manhattan, sources told FoxNews.com. Both officers are said to be in stable condition, although the incident marked an escalation of tension in the uneasy give-and-take between NYPD officers charged with maintaining order, and protesters determined to be heard. The officer sustained the injury after a long day of marches and demonstrations by protesters across Manhattan's Financial District. Here's what happened, according to law enforcement sources. Prompted by unknown reasons, a single officer, on-duty at the time, waded into a mass of protesters in Zuccotti Park. Once there, the officer called for back-up. Two additional officers responded to the call for help and joined the original one. Something was thrown at eye of the original officer, perhaps an irritant, said law enforcement sources at the scene. Then, moments later, something "sharp" was thrown at one of other officers providing back-up, causing a deep gash on this thumb, the source said. The officer hit in the eye was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where his injured eye was "flushed out," said a law enforcement source. The second cop was taken to an as-yet unidentified local hospital, where he was due to receive numerous stitches to close the gash on his hand, law enforcement sources told FoxNews.com. The movement started anew Thursday morning with far less than the anticipated 10,000 activists marching on the heart of Manhattan's Financial District, two days after cops rousted the ragtag bunch from their encampment in nearby Zuccotti Park. Organizers had called for 10,000 to amass in lower Manhattan, but the crowd appeared to be no more than one-fifth that number. Displaced but still determined, the marchers symbolically started at the now-cleared Zuccotti Park as the sun rose above Manhattan and suited squads of traders and brokers arrived for regular shifts. They headed for another symbolic destination -- the New York Stock Exchange. Roughly 100 arrests were reported to FoxNews by a law enforcement source. The NYPD did its best to keep the protestors on the periphery of the plaza in front of the exchange, cordoning off the area with metal barricades, scooters and parked vans. Only a smattering of the officers wore helmeted riot gear, the rest in their blue, workaday attire. But as soon as one of the many side streets leading to the Exchange in the warren-like Financial District was blocked by the NYPD, the protesters resumed their march and headed for another entry point. Blocked from access to the plaza, the march effectively surrounded the outskirts. "We just encircled Wall St. We'll do it all day," said David Suker, a protester who was among the crowd, distributing copies of the "Occupy Wall St. Journal." "If we don't have the park, we'll take the streets. If we can't take Wall St., we'll take the side streets. We'll do it all day and all week." The emboldened horde carried signs, chanted slogans like, "These are our streets!" and "We are the 99 percent!" as it wended its way in a circular pattern around the NYSE's plaza. The NYPD set up a checkpoint where NYSE employees could enter the plaza. A few hundred protesters massed there, and heckled the arriving workers with chants of, "Shame! Shame! Shame!" and "Shut it down!" Some protesters blocked traffic on a roadway in the Financial District. The NYPD responded by peacefully herding the group back to the sidewalk. The protesters appeared to number between 1,000 and 2,000, although they had splintered into numerous, smaller groups, making an accurate assessment difficult. "As the day goes on, you'll see more and more people, especially when they start to gather at Foley Square," said Kanene Holder, press secretary for "Occupy for Wall St." "Once people (get) out of work, that's when you'll see more." The NYPD herded handcuffed protesters into idling paddy wagons. Holder put the number of arrests at 35, yet a law enforcement source told Fox News the number is closer to 100. One unfortunate who was headed to work on Long Island got accidentally enmeshed in a group of protesters--and was arrested. "I didn't do anything," a handcuffed Shaun Bowlin told FoxNews.com as he awaited entry into a waiting wagon. "I was walking and got caught up in the crowd. They threw me down and dragged me off. I'm not even part of the protest." Having marshaled a pittance of the planned-for protesters for Thursday's march, "Occupy Wall Streeters" retreated with the passing of noon to familiar ground--their old haunt at Zuccotti Park--to regroup and plan their next move on the proverbial 1 percent. There, a couple hundred protesters, their ranks depleted with the passing hours, congregated under the wary and watchful eyes of waiting NYPD officers. Above them, gray clouds gathered. Below them, wet puddles soaked their besotted feet. The day of action had been planned before the city cracked down on the encampment in Zuccotti Park, but took on added significance after tents, tarps and sleeping bags were cleared out early Tuesday and the granite plaza was cleaned for the first time since the group arrived more than two months ago. "We will get boots on the ground again," said Rory Simpson, 29, who described himself as an itinerant activist as he made signs Wednesday evening. "This is not over yet." The group announced it would rally near the New York Stock Exchange, then fan out across Manhattan and head to subways, before gathering downtown and marching over the Brooklyn bridge. "Resist austerity. Rebuild the economy. Reclaim our democracy," the group wrote in a news release. New York City officials said they had not spoken to demonstrators but were aware of the plans. "The protesters are calling for a massive event aimed at disrupting major parts of the city," Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson said. "We will be prepared for that." Organizers say the loss of the Zuccotti Park campsite may help broaden the movement. The head of the group's finances says it will open a dialogue with organizers in other cities and take the protest to the next level. Meanwhile, police broke up camps Sunday in Portland, Ore., and Monday in Oakland, Calif. A judge in New York ruled Tuesday that the protesters could return to Zuccotti but could not set up camp. Meanwhile, as of 11 a.m., one protestor was calling Thursday's action a success. "I think this has far exceeded our expectations," said Mark Bray. "We wanted to shut down business as usual. I think we've done that. We've certainly thrown off the routine, and that is what we wanted to accomplish."[/release] source: [url]http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/17/occupy-protestors-march-on-new-york-stock-exchange[/url] CNN: Protesters and police clash during 'day of action' in New York 7:44 PM EST, Thu November 17, 2011 [release]Thousands of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators deluged New York on Thursday, a show of strength in the movement's original home that was echoed nationwide as part of a "mass day of action." Scores were arrested in New York, and several police officers were reported injured, as protesters fanned out across the city heading toward Foley Square in lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. By early Thursday evening, people were crossing the bridge -- the same place where more than 700 had been arrested last month -- chanting, "This is what democracy looks like -- This is what America look like," according to the New York movement's official Twitter feed. This time, they marched in the pedestrian walkway, not blocking the roadway. But those in New York were not alone. Like-minded activists also took to the streets in all corners of the nation -- from Miami to Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon -- marking two months since the activist effort aimed at the nation's wealthiest 1% began in Lower Manhattan. "I think the numbers have increased dramatically today," said New York protester Jo Robin. "Particularly after the raid, our message is being broadcast all over the world." The group twice squared off against riot police in Zuccotti Park, where they'd been evicted two days earlier. They'd also engaged in several confrontations with police, leading to scores of arrests. That includes 99 Occupy Wall Street protesters taken into custody early Thursday evening, according to a high-ranking member of the city police department -- hours after protest organizers said 99 people were prepared to sit down in a street and be arrested. This figure is symbolic, since activists purport to represent the interests of 99% of the population, as opposed to the wealthiest 1%. This figure is an addition to at least 177 people who Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said had been arrested during a late afternoon press conference. He also noted then that seven police officers were hurt during exchanges with protesters. Five of those officers were injured when a unidentified liquid was thrown on their faces, Kelly said, adding that the officers experienced a burning sensation and required hospitalization. And a 24-year-old police officer was injured when a star-shaped glass object was thrown at him, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters during a visit to Bellevue Hospital Center where the officer was being treated. It is not clear how many demonstrators have been injured during the clashes. Overheard on CNN.com: Some tire of Occupy protesters CNN and CNN affiliate New York One broadcast images of the exchanges, including video of one man -- whose face appeared to be covered in blood -- sitting near police who wielded shields and batons. Authorities constructed barricades at Zuccotti Park, in front of the New York Stock Exchange and along Fifth Avenue in an apparent attempt to keep demonstrators off the roads and on pedestrian walkways. Residents and workers near the New York Stock Exchange were required to flash identification cards as police cordoned off the area amid concerns that demonstrators would try to disrupt trading. Earlier in the day, protesters lifted metal barricades that ringed Zuccotti Park, a former home-base for the movement, defying authorities and blocking traffic. Bloomberg said the day's protests had "caused minimal disruptions to our city," he asserted that some demonstrators had "deliberately pursued violence." In Lower Manhattan, CNN iReporter Alvaro Perez shot video showing protesters being pulled away by police, including one woman who appeared to be dragged by her jacket and backpack. "I don't want to speculate on what happened in advance of that," police spokesman Paul Browne said of the incident. He said the "big picture" of how police have handled demonstrations has so far been mostly positive. "People were able to get to work" and "protesters were able to protest," Browne added. Occupy roundup: Movement marks 2 months Earlier, on CNN's "American Morning," Howard Wolfson, a New York City deputy mayor, vowed, "We'll make sure, if people want to peacefully protest, they have the right to." But, he added, "if people break the law, we'll have to deal with that." "If they attempt to enter a building they're not allowed in, that's breaking the law. If they want to express their concerns about Wall Street, that's totally fine," he said. While the city has come under fire from protesters and other critics for arrests and removing protesters from Zuccotti Park, Wolfson insisted that "we had to act" to stop illegal activity, such as drug use, and to eliminate fire hazards. "This is a place where we honor the First Amendment," he added. Still, the ouster from Zuccotti Park did not appear to stifle the New York protest effort. The group tried to sum up its intent on a Twitter post: "Enough of this economy that exploits and divides us. It's time we put an end to Wall Street's reign of terror and begin building an economy that works for all." The Occupy movement, likewise, showed few signs of abating elsewhere in the United States. In cities such as St. Louis, Milwaukee and elsewhere, thousands responded to the "day of action" plea. And as in New York, some of those ended up behind bars after refusing to heed law enforcement officers' calls to move. That included 25 in Portland, according to police Lt. Robert King; eight in Atlanta, according to a police statement; and several more in Los Angeles and Houston, according to witnesses and video footage. And in Denver, District Attorney Mitchell Morrissey announced Thursday that three men now face felony charges -- including inciting a riot and assaulting a police officer -- for their alleged actions while clashing with authorities during Occupy Denver protests.[/release] [url]http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/17/us/new-york-occupy/index.html?hpt=hp_t1[/url]

About fucking time

[QUOTE=CubeManv2;33319419]About fucking time[/QUOTE] Why would it be 'about fucking time' that Occupy got violent?

Our generation is so desperate to mean something that the majority of the protesters only have a vague idea of what they're doing. Regardless, I support them, but not their violence.

Well, maybe they shouldn't have bulldozed all their stuff and loaded it into dump trucks. That tends to aggravate people. Also, lol at Fox News: [quote]A New York City police officer was slashed during Thursday's "Occupy Wall Street" action[/quote] [quote]Something was thrown at eye of the original officer, perhaps an irritant, said law enforcement sources at the scene. Then, moments later, something "sharp" was thrown at one of other officers providing back-up, causing a deep gash on this thumb, the source said.[/quote] Oh dear god, he cut his thumb, how horrible. That's [I]totally[/I] worse than the pepper spray, tear gas, and beatings the NYPD has subjected defenseless demonstrators to. No amount of Fox spin is going to make me feel sympathy for the NYPD's thugs.

[QUOTE=CubeManv2;33319419]About fucking time[/QUOTE] Yeah, it's about time they toss away any maturity and reasoning and start trying to maim police. fUUHK THA PIIGS maann [editline]17th November 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;33319459] No amount of Fox spin is going to make me feel sympathy for the NYPD's thugs.[/QUOTE] Even if there are incidents of violence in a protest, calling the entirety of the NYPD thugs is fucking retarded.

Is there an alternate source, I really don't trust this Foxnews BS

Fox news. LOL I thought the violence escalated when the cops pepper sprayed a priest, pregnant woman, a teenager, and numerous other people. Isn't that when the violence escalated? fox? Idiots.

There is violence from both sides now, but it wasn't the protesters who started it.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;33319459] Oh dear god, he cut his thumb, how horrible. That's [I]totally[/I] worse than the pepper spray, tear gas, and beatings the NYPD has subjected defenseless demonstrators to. No amount of Fox spin is going to make me feel sympathy for the NYPD's thugs.[/QUOTE] Totally improving the image of Occupy supporters here. [editline]17th November 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=DiBBs27;33319540]Fox news. LOL I thought the violence escalated when the cops pepper sprayed a priest, pregnant woman, a teenager, and numerous other people. Isn't that when the violence escalated? fox? Idiots.[/QUOTE] Notice that the article repeatedly says it's 'an' escalation rather than the first? Idiot.

Somebody call a WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAmbulance; the police man (guys with guns, tasers, riot gear , body armor, mace, tear gas, and most importantly; backup) got something in his eye! And his buddy got cut on the thumb. This is fucking bullshit sensationalist reporting from fox news. How about the marine that GOT SHOT IN THE FUCKING HEAD WITH TEAR GAS. This is a desperate plea to discredit an otherwise legitimate and important gathering of concerned (read / say it with me) [b]CITIZENS[/b] not criminals, not the benefactors of government bailouts, or the benefactors of the destabilization of the world fucking economy, or the people that benefit from a shaky economy. They are people, and there doesn't need to be a supreme court case to determine that. They don't have the money that our politicians want and therefore have [i] less [/i] of a voice than the 'people' defined by Citizen's United.

You and you symantic douchebaggery. Clearly foxnews is spinning it as THE escalation of the protest. If you can't get that vibe from the article then you should read it again.

[QUOTE=Baldr 2.0;33319598]How legal is it in the USA to use agent provocateur tactics at things like this?[/QUOTE] I think that would depend on if it's someone who's actually employed by the police (the literal meaning) or if it's an independent person (the alternative meaning).

Let's see a news article from a real media company. Fox is the one that thinks these protestors are worthless leeches. I don't give a shit what Fox has to say anymore because they lack integrity.

[QUOTE=CubeManv2;33319419]About fucking time[/QUOTE] What he fuck are talking about, all this did was give them a reason to beat and arrest more people.

[QUOTE=macerator;33319605]Somebody call a WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAmbulance; the police man (guys with guns, tasers, riot gear , body armor, mace, tear gas, and most importantly; backup) got something in his eye! And his buddy got cut on the thumb. This is fucking bullshit sensationalist reporting from fox news. How about the marine that GOT SHOT IN THE FUCKING HEAD WITH TEAR GAS.[/QUOTE] Because the shooting in the head was totally aimed, right? Poor aiming/judgement at best.

Well let's see, the police have already had several incidents of tear-gassing and wanton pepper-spraying, and have already forcefully removed the protesters, but the second one of the protesters does something physically harmful, it's an 'escalation'? And Fox News, really Glaber? That's like if I sourced Michael Moore for a piece on gun bans. [editline]17th November 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;33319655]Because the shooting in the head was totally aimed, right? Poor aiming/judgement at best.[/QUOTE] It is literally impossible to hit someone with a tear-gas grenade in such a manner as that without doing it from close range. Poor judgement at best, and brutality at worst.

[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33319659]Well let's see, the police have already had several incidents of tear-gassing and wanton pepper-spraying, and have already forcefully removed the protesters, but the second one of the protesters does something physically harmful, it's an 'escalation'? And Fox News, really Glaber? That's like if I sourced Michael Moore for a piece on gun bans. [/QUOTE] Expecting Glaber to quote anything besides Fox at this point is like expecting Bachmann to grow a brain.

[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;33319686]Expecting Glaber to quote anything besides Fox at this point is like expecting Bachmann to grow a brain.[/QUOTE] Seriously though. Why was the marine with the fractured skull in Oakland not an 'esclation'? Why was the pepper-sprayed woman in NYC at the beginning of the protests not an 'escalation'? If anything the police are supposed to be more organized than the protesters, and thus their actions should be more representative of their group than those of the protesters.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;33319459]Oh dear god, he cut his thumb, how horrible. That's [I]totally[/I] worse than the pepper spray, tear gas, and beatings the NYPD has subjected defenseless demonstrators to.[/QUOTE] More importantly "I got stray cap stun in my eye and cut my thumb on something" is a more plausible explanation of what happened. Nobody shanks anybody in the fucking thumb. That said have some empathy for the cops, a lot of 'em are chill as fuck. The problems here are with the higher-ups and rogues like T-bloney, not every single officer ever.

Well no shit it got violent, that's what happens when you raid their camp and brutalize innocent people. They get mad. It's just going to get worse if something isn't done, soon.

[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33319718]Seriously though. Why was the marine with the fractured skull in Oakland not an 'esclation'? Why was the pepper-sprayed woman in NYC at the beginning of the protests not an 'escalation'? If anything the police are supposed to be more organized than the protesters, and thus their actions should be more representative of their group than those of the protesters.[/QUOTE] They are. Said escalations just don't happen all at once, they come in pauses. At least, that's what I can think of now, what with the source being Fox.

[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;33319655]Because the shooting in the head was totally aimed, right? Poor aiming/judgement at best.[/QUOTE] So, either we have police officers with terrible aim or we have police officers who make bad judgment calls? Neither of those seems like a good thing to me.

[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;33319655]Because the shooting in the head was totally aimed, right? Poor aiming/judgement at best.[/QUOTE] I'd link you to the thread where a marine trained in the use of 40mm tear gas / grenade launcher said basically yeah, it would've had to have been aimed at the person at that range, but I think that'd be unnecessary. Also, why the double standard? Cops can have poor judgement, but the protestors can't? Shouldn't it be the other way around, given that the police are trained professionals, and the protesters aren't?

[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;33319757]They are. Said escalations just don't happen all at once, they come in pauses. At least, that's what I can think of now, what with the source being Fox.[/QUOTE] The thing is, Fox has such a small amount of integrity (if any at all), that they'll often ignore the police's wrongdoings or dismiss them as isolated incidents, while at the same time overstating anything the protesters do that is even remotely negative.

I heard that at the occupy wall street protest there is a roving gang of thugs terrorizing everyone I also heard they have badges on

[QUOTE=Bishop869;33319787]So, either we have police officers with terrible aim or we have police officers who make bad judgment calls? Neither of those seems like a good thing to me.[/QUOTE] Sadly, we can't expect anybody to be perfect. People make mistakes, albeit severely damning ones. [QUOTE=macerator;33319795]I'd link you to the thread where a marine trained in the use of 40mm tear gas / grenade launcher said basically yeah, it would've had to have been aimed at the person at that range, but I think that'd be unnecessary. Also, why the double standard? Cops can have poor judgement, but the protestors can't? Shouldn't it be the other way around, given that the police are trained professionals, and the protesters aren't?[/QUOTE] Unless I snuck an unintentional one in, where's the double standard? I never said anything about Occupy not being allowed to have poor judgement. And like I said earlier, in a perfect world we'd all have perfect judgement at all times under any circumstances. Training can't prepare you for everything and thus we get poor decisions under pressure at times, sadly. [QUOTE=Megafanx13;33319805]The thing is, Fox has such a small amount of integrity (if any at all), that they'll often ignore the police's wrongdoings or dismiss them as isolated incidents, while at the same time overstating anything the protesters do that is even remotely negative.[/QUOTE] I would write a well-argumented reply here but saying 'it's Fox' will do just as well. It's who they are, I doubt they'll change anytime soon.

[QUOTE=Zeke129;33319819]I heard that at the occupy wall street protest there is a roving gang of thugs terrorizing everyone I also heard they have badges on[/QUOTE] I hear they wear black shirts, that can't be good. [editline]17th November 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;33319858]Unless I snuck an unintentional one in, where's the double standard? I never said anything about Occupy not being allowed to have poor judgement. And like I said earlier, in a perfect world we'd all have perfect judgement at all times under any circumstances. Training can't prepare you for everything and thus we get poor decisions under pressure at times, sadly.[/QUOTE] He's saying the police should be held to a higher standard than "oh they had poor aim/judgment, so a man was shot in the head with a tear-gas grenade". They're [I]supposed[/I] to be trained professionals, not a militia.

[QUOTE=Zeke129;33319819]I heard that at the occupy wall street protest there is a roving gang of thugs terrorizing everyone I also heard they have badges on[/QUOTE] but the police would never do anything wrong. these worthless parasites need to go home and get a JOB, and if they don't then it's their fault if they get brutalized!!!

[QUOTE=Megafanx13;33319863] He's saying the police should be held to a higher standard than "oh they had poor aim/judgment, so a man was shot in the head with a tear-gas grenade". They're [I]supposed[/I] to be trained professionals, not a militia.[/QUOTE] And even the most trained professionals have moments where they look back and think 'holy hell, why the fuck did I do that'. Don't get me wrong, what happened to that marine is tragic, really is. It's just that the vibe I'm getting from some of FP is that the police are to be infallible at all times and that the idea of them making a mistake is as alien as you can get.