After participating in the proud American tradition of free speech, protesters arrested during the Republican National Convention have done another very American things: Sued the city for physical and mental anguish caused by police detention in "excessive, unneccessary and punitive" conditions. The class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of 1,800 protesters, with lawyers saying the city had created a "little Guantanomo on the Hudson" at the holding center, Pier 57. Well, NYC does seem to offer a little bit of everything. Naturally, the NYPD claims the conditions at Pier 57 were sanitary and up to code. Gothamist loves that this is giving blue staters something to focus on; our guess is that if it's not settled by next summer, some of these victims may be used by Democratic mayoral candidates, trying to paint Mayor Bloomberg as a Republican crony and toughie. Which is what Giuliani was, and he was reelected, but time will tell.
Photo from Indymedia, taken inside the Pier 57 dentention center
