Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Did the NYPD Break International Law in Suppressing Protest?

Link to article

Yes!

"Most shocking is the section titled 'use of force,' and the accompanying 36-page table that documents 130 incidents of violence police committed against Occupy activists. The list of incidents by its very nature couldn't be exhaustive, but is intended to show the wide range of force police used against activists. Some of the incidents are quite serious; punching, over-hand swinging of batons, and “intentionally applying very hard force to the broken clavicle of a handcuffed and compliant individual.” Reading through the table leaves one with a dizzying sense of brutality, as ten months of condensed violence flash before one’s eyes.

On October 14, the report states, an officer approached a protester, and punched him, knocking him to the ground. In an interview, the protester said, 'I was walking away from him, I was not walking toward him . . . I was going away. I didn’t say anything [to the officer].' On December 17, an ordained priest was punched in the temple by an officer, causing him to seek emergency treatment. There were several injuries on March 17 and 18, when Occupy activists attempted to reestablish an encampment in Zuccotti Park. The report lists many other serious uses of force, as well as scores of instances of shoving, pushing, and physically intimidating Occupy protesters."

UPDATE: Here's the whole report.

No comments:

Post a Comment