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A Moment of Pause in the Life of New York's Police State Aaron Dykes / JonesReport.com | August 3, 2007 Awake in a nightmare of arbitrary law, total control, corralling on the streets. A woman cries out "but I ride my bike all the time" as she is dragged away and handcuffed. A high-level police officer barks into a megaphone a repeatedly, droning "Heads up, heads up, heads up, heads up, heads up for traffic." Then faster, moving along a few stragglers, "Heads-up, heads-up, heads-up--"
"Keep moving." "Don't go past this line." Police everywhere shoving on people, dragging others off to be arrested. Demands for identification. 'What have I done?' Police tell cameras they will "arrest as many as we can We." The whole of this picture is a reality in New York, down any street, on any given day, around the next corner and standing in the way. Gone is the cultural metropolis its name was known by.
A vast departure from the New York once emblematic of the guaranteed freedoms and unprecedented opportunity available in the land of America that activist reporters from WeAreChange.org captured in cinematic strides, juxtaposing the hopeful life of music, food, drinks, music and city life with the harsh, grinding rhythm of police control, crowd management, check points, random (illegal) searches and other routine, systematic violations of the Constitution. Police State & Critical Mass in New York makes a case-study out of the state of "security" as it has solidified since the "terrorist" attacks that took place nearly six years ago. Absent is almost any sense of freedom as police surround a peaceful congregation of bicyclists known as "Critical Mass" who tour through the city. Police regarded them as a quasi-demonstration and ensued ticketing, arresting and harassing any and all of them on no pretense at all. Amongst the chaotic swirl of the bikes, cars and people are claustrophobic pedestrian walkways lined with officers shouting at cameras while captured and detained cyclists wait on the curb, some in handcuffs. Down the way, another cyclist explains how police forced him into the middle of the road for the sole purpose of ticketing him. Clearly others on bikes were simply going from point-to-point, and not affiliated with the quasi-demonstration yet were ticketed and arrested. A man is cuffed and taken away without cause after speaking through a cardboard-megaphone things like "Grow up, Read the Constitution." But the officers have "orders to clear the block," and everyone must obey. Only someone yells back, "What's next? Put us in pens?" "What's next? Put us in railroad cars?" "What's next?"
The director's description, from Google Video: WeAreChange.org attends a Critical Mass gathering in New York City during the summer. Critical Mass started in 1992 in San Francisco as an ... all » organized event to promote bicycle transportation but has evolved over the years as a loose gathering of people who enjoy biking, roller blading and other means of alternative transportation. Throughout the years a central location and time have been established in cities around the world and therefore there is no need for an organizer. Since 2006 the mainstream press has attempted to define Critical Mass as a "demonstration". They also call it "monthly political-protest rides" despite the absence of signs or speeches. Police have been frustrated by the fact that there is no organization to force permits and fees upon. To combat this the city has passed laws requiring a Parade Permit for over 50 riders. They then just start pulling people over and if they can't get them on bike laws, such as required lights and helmets, they move on to intimidating them. The weakest tend to get fined or arrested and the ones that stand up for their rights tend to walk. In this video you will see several travesties of justice. A gentleman appears dressed as a preacher and brings a cheerleader megaphone to remind the police of the constitution. He is arrested, even though he breaks no law including the new sound amplification laws that require a permit for bullhorns. Pedestrians are allowed to walk freely around the area and on sidewalks however people with cameras are not. Police refuse to give badge numbers. Police move camera people away from areas where arrests are being performed. Police state that simply standing on the sidewalk filming is "dangerous" as a reason to get them to leave. Police video anyone filming events as a means of intimidation. Police state that lining up police vans and scooter patrols as well as bringing captains and other suits to the scene ahead of time is not meant to intimidate people. Incidentally, we saw no gatherings of over 50 at any time in one place on the streets. Perhaps there should be a law that requires the police to obtain permission for 50 or more of them to assemble without a reason! CLICK ON THE BANNER TO
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