Arrested 6:30 PM Tuesday, August 31, at 6th Ave & 42nd Street (Bryant Park, behind the Library)
Demonstrators in front of Library complied with police instructions to clear Library steps and walk west on 42nd Street.
Zap, zap, zap! Police pen compliant demonstrators between two orange mesh nets and arrest us on bogus charges (which we don't learn till late Wednesday): obstructing the sidewalk and marching without a permit (except we weren't obstructing the sidewalk until the police penned us in, and we weren't marching, we were following the police's instructions to walk west along 42nd street's south sidewalk).
Police arrest medics in many sweeps.
Police keep media and legal observers in green baseball caps far, far away from penned in detainees.
Next 12 hours spent in detention pens in unspeakably filthy Gitmo on Hudson, aka Pier 57. Detainees include under 18's from out of town with no local family members.
Suffering sleep deprivation and still wearing filthy, stinking clothes from day before, next 15 hours spent at Police Plaza being herded from holding pen to holding pen while being photographed, fingerprinted, and fed atrocious sandwiches (choice of mystery meat or peanut butter on wonder bread).
Twenty-four hours after making arrests, police still do not specify charges or allow detainees to speak with court appointed lawyers.
Finally, at 8:30 PM Wednesday, September 1, twenty-eight hours after being arrested, my case is called, I get to speak with a lawyer, and I learn the bogus charges that the police have filed against me.
Having not slept or eaten properly since early Tuesday, I opt for a desk appearance ticket.
According to Thursday's New York Times, desk appearance tickets should normally take two hours to process.
I am now back home in Brooklyn. I have burned my filthy clothes and scoured my defiled body clean. I have consumed a pint of Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream.
After sleeping 12-18 hours in my pristine bed, I will revise this posting to include even more sordid, squalid details.
As of late Wednesday nite, hundreds (thousands?) of detainees are still in legal limbo at either Gitmo North or One Police Plaza. Many do not have access to critically needed medications.
The detainees anthem, "We All Live In A Military State," lifted our spirits Tuesday evening. After more than 24 hours in detention without being formally charged by the police, the song acquires a sinister Ashcroftian ambiance.
[Update]
I'm back.
It's Thursday, 2:30 PM.
I've slept 12 hours, done my "morning meditations," taken my morning medications, and, like a good citizen, contacted Senatator Hillary, Senator Chuck, and Congressman Jerry.
I feel refreshed and revitalized.
Like all genuine Nu Yawkers, I had to read about the arrests in the Times to authenticate my own first hand experience.
The police are lying like crazy to the media.
There are no phones for detainees at Gitmo.
"Temporary" detainment at Gitmo translates into anywhere from 12 hours to whenever.
Any police spokesperson who thinks Gitmo is a nice place to visit, should spend the nite there sleeping on the floor (or trying to) before he makes a public statement to the media--and he should make his statement wearing the clothes he spent the nite in!
I did not encounter any NLG staffers or green hat legal observers at either Gitmo or Police Plaza, and no arresting officer ever read any detainee his Miranda Rights--or is that something police only do on TV shows?
[Update]
Back again. 5:00 PM. Had lunch. Phoned friends. No one I talked to is the least surprised that "it is happening here."
I'm still in the-story-isn't-real-unless-the-NY-Times-covers-it mode. So far today, I have heard nothing on the Times radio station and seen nothing on the Times website to indicate that large scale habeus corpus violations are taking place in the city that never sleeps.
So the Bill of Rights' demise becomes a non-event because the media is too busy getting Presidential photo-ops at pre-screened fire houses.
About the police: the riot squad clearing the 5th Avenue Library steps overturned, smashed, and trampled the lovely cafe chairs and tables the Library (or the city) provides as quality of life amenities for us Nu Yawkers and our guests.
The symbolism is 100% "Bambi Meets Godzilla." Also, will the NYPD be billed for destroying city property? Will any library or Parks Dept reps complain? Fat chance.
Aside from the riot squads, the police generally behaved decently. The detainees were decidely non-confrontational, so there were no 1968 Chicago-style taunts of "Pigs!" no middle fingers raised in Cheneyesque insult.
Actually, most police seemed rather embarassed about the wholesale roundups. They are professionals who do what they are told, but they would much rather be out on the street preventing real crimes and arresting real criminals.
Which raises an interesting point:
Last month, Bush and Kerry appeared in Davenport, Iowa on the same afternoon. Police were so busy protecting the candidates, a major crime wave errupted because no one was protecting the local citizens.
With so many NYPD working multiple shifts to make midtown safe for visiting delegates, then processing the paperwork from 1,000+ arrests, has anyone checked precinct police blotters to see if robberies and breakins are on the increase in blue collar neighborhoods away from the tourist hotels?
At Police Plaza, detainees and NYPD co-existed in relative harmony. NY natives frequently reminded the police that Mayor Bloomberg has not given them a long overdue new contract, their wages are stagnating, and Billionaire Bloomberg is basically screwing Nu Yawk's Finest. The cops just laughed in agreement. In the Big Apple, everyone hates Mayor Mike.
Which partly explains Gitmo North's existence. Bloomberg knows he couldn't be elected NYC dog catcher next year, let alone get a second term as mayor. So, with nothing to lose and no home town voters left to alienate, he can suck up to Rove and Cheney by creating a detention camp for RNC protestors. Worst case scenario: he'll always have his money. Best case scenario: he'll have his money and a position in W's second term cabinet, or Jeb's first term cabinet, or the twins' cabinet, or something.
The story continues after 2 days of R&R