The Story Behind HLs Arrest at The RNC….
Posted in H.L. News, Main Blog (All Posts) on March 8th, 2007 8:51 am by HL
Day of Rage
Behind the scenes of the NYPD crackdown at the GOP convention
Village Voice
Excerpt:
It started benignly enough with a police inspector laying the ground rules through a bullhorn. “This is a march without a permit. You must comply with all the rules or else you will be subject to arrest. You have to walk in either a single file or a double file so that you do not obstruct pedestrian traffic. If you obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic, you will be subject to arrest. I ask your cooperation so that everybody has a safe march.”
With that, a chunk of the crowd ambled across Church Street and began slowly shuf fling up Fulton Street. Schiller, already across the street, figured he’d get a quick shot and then head up to the Union Square or Public Library protests, which were rumored to be more happening.
Just over a minute later, the march suddenly stopped. When Schiller looked up from his viewfinder, he noticed a police officer behind him blocking the way.
“What’s going on here? Are we being placed under arrest?” Schiller asked the New York City cop. ….
Searched, handcuffed, and with property seized, the bewildered—Schiller among them—were transported to a makeshift detention center so filthy that 40 cops assigned there would later file medical complaints. It was the start of what would be, for the average protester, a 33-hour incarceration misadventure. No phone calls. No lawyers. Not knowing the charges until the very end.
The arrests were so wobbly that five weeks later Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, with the aid of the footage taken by Schiller and crew, flat out dismissed all 227 cases.
H.L.s Take
Long time readers of this site will know that this story is of personal interest to me becuase I was One of The 227 arrested at the WTC on August 31, 2004. Looks like so far the people who have settled their cases have reached nice settlements. I will be a part of the class action suit that hopefully will cost the city so much money they will be forced to change the way they deal with protesters. Ca-Ching. You can read my arrest story Here
March 13th, 2007 at 9:35 am
all of you hollywood liberals and your comrades under stalin need to learn some taste and quit bashing mel gibson for his views. if you guys can say whatever you want about anything why can’t he. you are all pissed that he can make better movies than the communists in hollywood. there have been so many more movies that are more violent than any of his. and all of this bullshit over apocalypto being so graphic and violent is rediculous. go see 300 that is 10 times more graphic and violent and the story is not even as good it is just another movie praising macho assed bullshit and glory through destruction. apocalypto actually tells about a man who tries to live in freedom without violence but has to commit violence to defend himself and his family.
March 13th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Hey Al, Thanks for commenting. You must not be a regular reader becuase I have never bashed Mel Gibson on this site. I have not seen Apocalypto, but I really liked Mad Max, Lethal weapon, and Braveheart. And if I am not mistaken don’t Gibson’s movies come from Hollywood. Just checking.