Interesting People mailing list archives
two comments re nyc demonstrations
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 2003 15:39:33 -0500
Some, apparently including those who wrote these notes, assumed the restrictions of the NYC police were directed at them totally. I think an important point is missed. NYC has been on a much higher security alert than most of the country. Recently in the UN Security Council and other UN meetings there have been high level diplomats attending, at the Ministerial level. I';m not sure if Collin Powell stays in NY or flies back and forth. NYC police must protect them too. They have rights also. The fact is, if we do not protect them, other countries will not protect our visiting diplomats. These are the people trying to find a diplomatic solution to the issue. Why try to endanger them? Did anyone ever think of having a march elsewhere in the city? Fifth Ave? Broadway? Perhaps that would have been more acceptable for safety. Lynn And Someone I know well who was at the rally reported being butted by a police horse's head. She said that the police were riding their horses into the crowd; one of her friends saw news photographers being roughed up. They couldn't get east of 3rd Avenue, and for a while wasn't allowed to move west, either). Later, she met others who had been at Times Square; there, they say, the police were beating people and were using tear gas. CNN reports that one of its producers saw police using pepper spray. What isn't clear to me is whether this was police malice towards the demonstrators -- I certainly saw a lot of that during the Vietnam War protests -- as much as lack of ability to control the crowd in any other way. The NY Times noted that they seemed unprepared for the number of demonstrators, and that around 1:45 pm they ordered their highest level of mobilization. Steve ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To unsubscribe or update your address, click http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- two comments re nyc demonstrations Dave Farber (Feb 16)