NYC Man on Trial for Alleged Smoke Grenade Toss at G20 Protest

(AP Photo/ Philip Scott Andrews)

Allen Weber says he went to Pittsburgh last month to photograph the street protests at the G20 summit, but police say he behaved like just another anarchist. According to Pittsburgh police Officer Brian Nicholas, Weber was one of hundreds of demonstrators gathered in a plaza on the evening of September 24th, after police had ordered everyone to disperse. Nicholas was in the front seat of an armored SWAT truck, and he dropped a smoke grenade from the truck, about 15 feet from the crowd.

In a preliminary hearing yesterday, Nicholas testified that Weber, wearing a black bicycle helmet and a black backpack, ran from the crowd, grabbed the grenade, and threw it back, striking the SWAT truck. According to Nicholas, "Then he celebrated with the crowd," raising his arms in the air "like he had just scored a touchdown." But the end zone euphoria was interrupted before anyone could dump the Gatorade, because cops soon tackled Weber and arrested him.

Weber pleaded not guilty, and he was released on a $10,000 percentage bond. And he's charged with aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, propulsion of missiles and obstruction of highways. He's not the only New Yorker in legal trouble for participating in the G20 protests; last week feds raided the home of a Queens man accused of "hindering apprehension or prosecution" for sending Twitter updates about riot police movements.

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By John Del Signore in News on October 8, 2009 3:12 PM

Comments [rss]

PTG in nyc

Why are pigs scared of protesters? It's not the 60's anymore, they don't need to worry about throngs of hundreds of thousands of angry hippies, yet even if there were said throngs, there's still no justification for police reaction.

NYCSniper

JDS, yer sleeping on the job. Here's the real news:

Another NewYorker is charged for merely Twittering at the G20:

US man’s arrest for Twitter draws charges of double standards:

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/6/twitter_crackdown_nyc_activist_arrested_for

Twitter Crackdown: NYC Activist Arrested for Using Social Networking Site during G-20 Protest in Pittsburgh:

http://televisionwashington.com/floater_article1.aspx?lang=en&t=3&id=14679

jibbly

http://www.forumammo.com/cpg/albums/userpics/10071/YouFail-1.jpg

NYCSniper

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Still, the twitter thing seems like the bigger story, no?

I mean, throwing a smoke bomb at cops *IS* illegal (not that I agree with the current police state).....

Comic Book Guy

Reading comprehension FAIL.

John Del Signore

Yer sleeping while you're reading; try the last paragraph.

hotstepper

...now wave 'em all around like you just don't care!

Wza

hahaha!

starrygordon

Only police are allowed to throw smoke bombs. Didn't you know that?

Anyway, the Twitter thing is far more interesting. The police are so sacrosanct that we are apparently not allowed to look at them or talk about what they do.