PROTESTER: Here's What Happened When Hundreds Of People Got Arrested On The Brooklyn Bridge

[FarCenter]

The latest reports indicate that about 400 people were arrested today for blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, as part of the #OccupyWallStreet protests that have been going on since September 17 in Lower Manhattan.

Some folks (it seems on Twitter, mostly) have accused the cops of corralling them onto the bridge, and then trapping them there, and arresting them.

We just got back from the permanent location of the protests (at Zuccotti Park), and got a clearer sense of what happened.

The truth seems a little less dramatic than the accusations, but still interesting.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/occupy-wall-street-400-arrests-on-the-brooklyn-bridge-2011-10

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. The article confirms what I'd hoped not true: Cops were already there in the middle of the bridge.

[MADem]

2. This account is the first one I have seen that makes sense. The whole

"evil tricky cops" thing I just could not buy. I am also heartened that the protest organizers were not the ones who advocated taunting the cops or getting "vocal and provocative."



One speaker addressing the crowd basically suggested it was a blunder by protesters, who originally planned to just go over the pedestrian part of the bridge, but upon seeing some people take the road (against the suggestion of protest organizers!), started going more and more on the actual road, not really realizing what was going on.

A protester named Meg, who wound up on the road, specifically explained: "What happened was... we just started going into the bridge; the cops were directing traffic. We just kept going. Moral was really high."

Then: "We just stopped. Everything just stopped."

People who were on the pedestrian bridge above, alerted the protesters in the road that cops were on the bridge, stopping protesters, and making periodic arrests: "kind of choosing people at random."

It was her sense that the cops were initially just arresting people who were particularly vocal or provocative in some way.

At some point, the cops boxed everyone in with red nets, so nobody could leave.



They need to get those free marching/demo permits next time--then there will be no issues.

[defendandprotect]

3. kr

[bahrbearian]

4. Good move by the NYPD,, this will only make the movement stronger.

More press, more attorneys, more marchers. The arrests will only make the march legit. Good move.