Occopy Wall Street Releases New Videos of September 24th Macing of Peaceful Protestors.

The NYPD has accused Occupy Wall Street of editing the You Tube video of the macing of the peaceful protestors on September 24th.  They have now released three more videos that show the incident from different perspectives. 

The videos reveal important facts about the incident including:  (1) it was a very small group of protestors that were isolated by the netting in front of the garage next to the Japonica restaurant on 12th Street, (2)  There was no one else on the sidewalk on either side of the isolated protestors causing any kind of disturbance, (3)  the protestors were maced after yelling "shame, shame" at police officers making illegal arrests., and (4) the protestors are confused by what the police want them to do:  "do you want us to go into the garage," one of them asks.






Other videos and photographs released on the Occupy Wall Street website that are reproduced below reveal that many of the arrests were the result of supervisors losing their temper for no reason at all or after being verbally confronted by protestors:

This is a photo of a white-collar police officer reaching over a barricade and ripping a young woman's hair out: 

  

This is a video that shows a white-collar police officer tackle a young man for no reason (thirty-six seconds in).
Later, it shows a different white-collar police officer shoving two young women and a young man for no reason (one minute and two seconds in):

This is a photo of two white-collar police officers arresting a young woman for filming them:

This is a September 19th article by New York Times reporter Colin Moynihan that reveals a white-collar police officer reached over a barricade and took hold of a protester without provocation, and then lied about the details.

Here is a picture from the article, note the other two white-collar officers holding him up:

This is a video from September 20th of two white-collar police officers throwing a protester face first towards the ground: 

   

The NYPD Needs to be Reformed

The conduct of the NYPD - in particular the supervisors - was a complete disgrace.  New Yorkers should not tolerate this type of conduct from their police department.  There has been a lot of web commentary from blue collar New Yorkers applauding the rough treatment of the protestors who are characterized as spoiled rich kids. 

What these critics forget is that this type of police misconduct - and worse - were originally employed against working men and women in the labor movement protesting for better working conditions.  Lets see if they feel the same when the unions demonstrate and are subjected to the same treatment by NYPD.  The New York City Council should hold hearings on police conduct during the protest and officers who violated NYPD regulations, New York State laws, and the U.S. Constitution  should be held responsible for their actions.

I wasn't closely following the Occupy Wall Street movement before the September 24th protest and didn't even know there was going to be a protest that day.  I am glad I stumbled upon the mass arrests because it has opened my eyes to what the NYPD has become under Commissioner Kelly and I don't like what I'm seeing.