Bloomberg And NYPD Sued For Assaulting Occupy Wall Street And The First Amendment
ProudProgressive
2012/05/02 11:44:21
Mayor Bloomberg And The NYPD Being Sued By Democrats For Assaulting Occupy Wall Street And The First Amendment
May 1, 2012
By Justin Rosario
In a move some (like myself) would say is overdue, a lawsuit is being brought against King Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Police Department for their blatant abuse of both peaceful protesters and their First Amendment right to protest.
The plaintiffs include Council members Ydanis Rodriguez, Jumaane Williams, Letitia James and Melissa Mark-Viverito, several OWS activists and several freelance reporters. The defendants also include the MTA, J.P.Morgan, Brookfield Properties (the owners of Zucotti Park), Commissioner Ray Kelly, and a number of police officers, some by name, most listed as John Does as many of the cops involved with the abuses covered their badge numbers.
Among the numerous charges in the 146 page complaint are:
Abridging freedom of the press: elected officials and members of the press have been denied a right of access to observe and record police actions against OWS
Abridging freedom to peaceably assemble: From the inception of OWS, defendants have acted to unconstitutionally and arbitrarily prevent persons from assembling in traditional public fora to discuss matters of public concern
Conspiring with private corporations and other governmental entities to suppress the constitutional right of plaintiffs and OWS to petition their government for redress of grievances
Systematic violations of law and constitutional guarantees intended to chill the First Amendment rights of OWS to express opinions on matters of public concern
The well documented arrests, beatings, pepper spraying and overall abuse of civil rights has been an international embarrassment for the United States and New York has led the way in codifying this kind of response. From the unnecessary destruction of private property, spying on and possibly agitating legally assembled protesters and exaggerated charges being filed to the massive overreaction to even minor gatherings, repeatedly sending in hundreds of officers in full riot gear against people sitting in circles chanting and the overt censoring and bullying of the press, the entire Occupy movement has revealed the United States to be little better than a third world dictatorship.
Unlike said dictatorship, however, King Mayor Bloomberg and his "private army" will now have to defend their actions in a court of law as well as the court of public opinion. While they will undoubtedly be aided by the Fox News propaganda machine, it is unclear how they will be able to justify their trampling of the First Amendment.
May 1, 2012
By Justin Rosario
In a move some (like myself) would say is overdue, a lawsuit is being brought against King Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Police Department for their blatant abuse of both peaceful protesters and their First Amendment right to protest.
The plaintiffs include Council members Ydanis Rodriguez, Jumaane Williams, Letitia James and Melissa Mark-Viverito, several OWS activists and several freelance reporters. The defendants also include the MTA, J.P.Morgan, Brookfield Properties (the owners of Zucotti Park), Commissioner Ray Kelly, and a number of police officers, some by name, most listed as John Does as many of the cops involved with the abuses covered their badge numbers.
Among the numerous charges in the 146 page complaint are:
Abridging freedom of the press: elected officials and members of the press have been denied a right of access to observe and record police actions against OWS
Abridging freedom to peaceably assemble: From the inception of OWS, defendants have acted to unconstitutionally and arbitrarily prevent persons from assembling in traditional public fora to discuss matters of public concern
Conspiring with private corporations and other governmental entities to suppress the constitutional right of plaintiffs and OWS to petition their government for redress of grievances
Systematic violations of law and constitutional guarantees intended to chill the First Amendment rights of OWS to express opinions on matters of public concern
The well documented arrests, beatings, pepper spraying and overall abuse of civil rights has been an international embarrassment for the United States and New York has led the way in codifying this kind of response. From the unnecessary destruction of private property, spying on and possibly agitating legally assembled protesters and exaggerated charges being filed to the massive overreaction to even minor gatherings, repeatedly sending in hundreds of officers in full riot gear against people sitting in circles chanting and the overt censoring and bullying of the press, the entire Occupy movement has revealed the United States to be little better than a third world dictatorship.
Unlike said dictatorship, however, King Mayor Bloomberg and his "private army" will now have to defend their actions in a court of law as well as the court of public opinion. While they will undoubtedly be aided by the Fox News propaganda machine, it is unclear how they will be able to justify their trampling of the First Amendment.
Read More: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/05/01/mayor-bloo...
Break out the water cannons --- crack some heads.
Where's your freedom of speech permit?
Good luck in court..... you wont see a dime.