ABOUT 80 PEOPLE were arrested yesterday as demonstrators who were camped out near the New York Stock Exchange marched through lower Manhattan.
The “Occupy Wall Street” protest is entering its second week. Demonstrators said they were protesting against bank bailouts and the mortgage crisis; some also held signs decrying Georgia’s execution of Troy Davis, who was put to death Wednesday for the 1989 killing of an off-duty Savannah police officer.
At Manhattan’s Union Square, police tried to corral the demonstrators using orange plastic netting. Some of the arrests were filmed and activists posted the videos online.
One video appears to show officers using pepper spray on women who already were cordoned off; another shows officers handcuffing a man after pulling him up off the ground, blood trickling down his face.
Police say the arrests were mostly for blocking traffic. Charges include disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. But one demonstrator was charged with assaulting a police officer. Police say the officer involved suffered a shoulder injury.
One video shows protesters chanting “the whole world is watching” as police officers attempt to move protesters (warning: video contains some strong language):
Protest spokesman Patrick Bruner criticized the police response as “exceedingly violent” and said the demonstrators sought to remain peaceful.
A police spokesman had no comment about the videos or the arrests.
The New York Times reports that hundreds of officers were deployed on the streets surrounding the main protest area around Zuccotti Park. It’s also reported that new rules have been posted in the park about camping gear and sleeping bags.
- Additional reporting by AP
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say