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Last night New York police appear to have “kettled” protesters in with nowhere to go. After chanting “let us disburse” over and over again, NYPD still arrested people, body-slamming & tackling some to the ground who appear to have posed no threat. https://twitter.com/protest_nyc/status/1324164030882263042?s=20
Here is a clip that includes a video, at :28, of protesters chanting “let us go” seemingly before the arrests @ScooterCasterNY
NYPD ordered people to go onto the sidewalk, saying they won’t be arrested if they do, but then they arrest people on the sidewalk @jangelooff https://twitter.com/jangelooff/status/1324182747993300994?s=20
Here the NYPD takes someone from the sidewalk, pushes them to ground, and arrests them @jangelooff https://twitter.com/i/status/1324160170335895553
Here the NYPD throws a protester on a bike to the ground and the officer appears to arrest the person for “peddling illegally” @GwynneFitz https://twitter.com/i/status/1324156083385094144
Here some protesters try to leave but police wont let them, initially, until they press, yell, and demand: https://twitter.com/i/status/1324171881444986880
Here it is more visible that the NYPD has protesters “kettled” in on both sides @GwynneFitz: https://twitter.com/i/status/1324161693103071232
Here police push a protester on the sidewalk, who falls over some trash bags, then drag him by the back of his sweatshirt into the street @protest_nyc https://twitter.com/protest_nyc/status/1324157520945053696?s=20
In September, @hrw reported on a similar incident when the NYPD trapped people in a "kettle" protesting against police brutality in the Bronx, then assaulted and arrested 250 of them, without giving them any chance to disburse.
The NYPD also spread false information about weapons at the scene and violence planned in an attempt to justify their actions. These claims were false and debunked by many press outlets, including the @nypost , https://nypost.com/2020/06/08/nypd-commissioner-ignores-his-own-misinformation-warnings/
The incident last night appears to be much smaller in scale but tactics are similar. Police also claimed weapons, including knives, fireworks, & some sort of taser were found but these claims should be treated with great skepticism given NYPD’s history of spreading misinformation
For example, the NYPD also recently made false claims about connections between the rise in gun violence in New York and recent criminal legal system reforms but these claims were also soundly refuted, again by the @nypost https://nypost.com/2020/07/08/nypds-own-stats-debunk-claims-about-bail-reform-link-to-shootings/
Following our report about police assaulting peaceful protesters in the Bronx, @NYCmayor promised he would hold those responsible for wrongdoing to account but he has still not done so. See @ida_sawyer https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2020/10/06/opinion-mayor-must-hold-nypd-to-account-for-bronx-assault/
We urge @NYCMayor to hold those to account for what we documented in our report immediately & open a credible investigation into what happened last night right away. You are responsible for not imposing consequences if NYPD continues using the same abusive tactics with impunity.
Continuing this thread, yesterday on @BrianLehrer show, @MayorNYC said “Kettling is not an acceptable practice,” not in NYPD patrol guide & “not something I want to see.” If so, then why no consequences for past use & why allowed to use again? New @hrw https://www.hrw.org/content/376979
