Parading Without a Permit Does Lead to Arrests

Someone sure taught that invisible soprano how to shriek for the camera. Nice acting!

Yawn, Police brutality? This is Police Brutality!

"youtubedotcom/watch?v=4waWeu-LOcE"

What a joke, in Russia these "protesters" would be beaten to a pulp in minutes...NY PD handled themselves professionally and gave these nut cases the white glove treatment. You gotta pick the right battles you crazy druggies.

punching a cop is never a smart decision.

no... not at all.

I'm a liberal law student who has been involved in criminal law for a while (both prosecution and defense side of things) as well as police oversight matters. Without addressing any bigger issues (ie. permit, 1st Ammendment rights), I would just like to point out that the officers handled themselves quite well. I think personal attacks on them are inappropriate and that given a tense situation they didn't use excessive force (verbal or physical).

This country is going straight too hell ! New York will be transformed into a police state for real if things don't change .

Did the VT memorial the other day, or Columbia's take back the night march, have a permit? I'm guessing not. But the cops approve of those topics, so no issue.

I don't think the British would have given the Colonists the necessary permits for assembly.

They deserve what they got. Their mommy and daddy didn't give them enough attention when they were young. So let the NYPD give it to them.

If things continue the way they're going -- with apathy or worse from people like you -- we'll be in big trouble in 50 or 80 years.

Such exaggeration. Also that you can predict 50 or 80 years into the future from nothing. The only way dictatorship can take hold is if the school system fails. Fortunately there are schools outside of NYC.

One response to the many, many idiotic comments: That guy is NOT kicking the cops. I was there. He's caught up in the mayhem and in the midst of falling backwards. Just think about it: there were three arrests and all of them are on video. Given the mentality of the cops on this video, do you really think they would have let a guy who kicked them get away? The guy was falling out of the frame, not kicking a cop.

"I don't want to see protests without permits"

People like you scare me. You think you're nice and not bothering anyone, but it's people like you that let dictatorships slowly creep up on us. I'm not saying the NYPD or Bloomberg have plans for dictatorship (I sincerely don't beleive that), but little by little the country is headed that way. If things continue the way they're going -- with apathy or worse from people like you -- we'll be in big trouble in 50 or 80 years.

Why is it that it's always the short, fat and bald cops who has the Napoleon complex?

Why weren't these radical fags shopping? Or re-decorating their loftspaces? Why weren't they serving us drinks in restaurant or lovingly telling us overgrown straight babies how to dress? In short, why weren't they spending their money, behind a counter, or on TV?

My confidence in the NYPD is grievously harmed when they act as shown in the linked videos. Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect? Some of them acted like schoolyard bullies. They pushed and punched when words should have been tried first. Words and a little wisdom may well have more quickly resolved the situation.

Did I see this right? The police say they were concerned that the protesters were blocking the road, but it looked to me that they parked their scooters in the road, and made the whole encounter into more of a mess than it would have been if they just let the marchers go their way.

A possible result when the NYPD acts like bullies is that they sever ties to the citizenry they are meant to serve, and frankly, this can only make police work more difficult. Those who acted so badly rendered their fellow officers a disservice, and the people of New York as well. Shame on them!

I hate how people complain so much about the police protection in the city. I don't want to see protests without permits, and why on earth are they referring to Amadou Diallo and Sean Bell in a completely unrelated incident? As if all cops had the same agenda.

Completely stupid if you ask me. They deserved it.

Why is it that it's always the short, fat and bald cops who has the Napoleon complex?

tiny wee wee. can't find my wee wee over my stomach fat. more beer.

It's odd. You can still get a permit to assemble in large groups, which, if I'm correct, is available to anyone. Also, any adult is, by default, is allowed to get a gun permit. How is this any different?

If everybody interrupted everybody else's life whenever they wanted, progress would be stifled.

This seems like more from the "!@#$ everybody else as long as there is enough for me" camp.

I protest why aren't there more NYPD in Iraq?

Why so few are in the Reserves or in the National Guard? and, they say the NYPD Scuba team has a more rigorous training than the NAVY SEALS.

yeah, right, just like NYC is the Capital of the World.

Bill O'rightsy, please see

Hague v. CIO

The privilege of a citizen of the United States to use the streets and parks for communication of views on national questions may be regulated in the interest of all

Fucking idiots. There are slightly more important issues going on right now that you can protest against.

Kick their ass NYPD

jmchez, will.xls and the dude = Gothamist regular losers.

even edex takes a break once in a while and leaves gothamist to take pictures.

Hey, Bill O'Rightsy, wasn't the Constitution written by a bunch of white, slave owning, gun toting, women subjugating, heterosexual men? Why would the Radical Homosexuals want to rely on that?

Apparently, the obvious is still not obvious enough to some. Few people like paying taxes or obeying the highway speed limit. However, only a fool is surprised at being arrested after stating the time and place at which they'll be breaking the law.

So, by the logic of the protesters I can peaceably assemble on the subway tracks during rush hour and the sovereign has no power to limit my assembly. That is an interesting interpretation of the constitution. It is unsupported by law, logic, and experience, but it is interesting.

I like the guy kicking a cop in the back about 90 seconds in. Apparently the vid montage did not successfully edit out the un-peaceable portion of the protest.

you guys are seriously missing the point. the police shouldn't have even been there. we used to have a right to assemble in this country. it's not "provoking" the police to excersise our constitutional rights. it's a sad day for america when you forget that this country was founded on protest.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Yeah, it's not police brutality if you push a cop, resist arrest, and then they have to throw you to the ground to handcuff you.

the 'radical fags' were ridiculous in this case. they started the whole thing. it's important to pick the right battles guys!

come on, the 'radical fags' that started it and got what they were asking for in this one. when you engage the police like that (who are pawns following orders) that's what you're gonna get. the 'radical fags' started a worthless battle here. and when they cry out "police brutality" its like crying wolf and fucking it up for the important battles. all those people being "investigative journalists" with their camcorders, "this is gonna be on youtube sir!" , come on!

This is what happens when you deliberately provoke the police. The protesters got exactly what they wanted.

It was very intense at that point and seemed pretty random. The "parade" continued west as the police brought in vans with helmeted and billy club wielding officers. We stayed on the sidewalk and continued to Battery Park City Authority land at which point the police didn't follow us in. The "parade" ended in the grassy park on the water, with many leaving to stand vigil on our arrested citizens at the precinct.

I miss the freedom to assemble...

thanks gothamist..for giving me a great laugh this morning..

watching that made my stomach churn.

wow that is disturbing.