My nephew John Knefel was arrested yesterday covering the post-Goldman Sachs OWS protest at the Winter Garden atrium in NYC which, like Zuccotti Park, is a public space owned by Brookfield Properties. (There was dancing, a drum, etc. All peaceful and rather joyful looking.) He is still at Central Booking in NYC this evening.
John was roughly handled, thrown to the floor. Dramatic John Knefel arrest photo According to police he was resisting arrest simply because he did not have an official press pass. "> His arrest begins about 6:30
John has not yet been charged with anything and we don't think he has seen an attorney yet. We're concerned for him, and outraged that he was so violently arrested, thrown to the marble floor. He was covering and filming, and had not done anything wrong. 17 others were also arrested, possibly more people in particular who were trying to cover the actions of the NYPD.
Read Molly Knefel's account of the protest and seeing her brother arrested at Salon: Busted for Tweeting cross posted on Michael Moore's blog.
UPDATE: Molly Knefel was just on Keith Olbermann and is headed back to Central Booking. No news about John yet.
Molly and Keith
Update 2: Wow, rec list. Thank you! And please keep a good thought for John Knefel and the others arrested yesterday in NY and elsewhere across the country.
Update 3: JOHN Knefel is OUT! Along with the others arrested yesterday.
John says: "37 hours w/#NYPD Pled Not Guilty. First response: See you all d17. Thanks for all the love everybody. Solidarity forever. #OWS"
UPDATE 4: Read John's account at Salon My 37 Hours with the NYPD Why it is important for occupiers to see the inside of the prison-industrial complex, by John Knefel
John is an independent writer, comedian and co-host of Radio Dispatch at BreakthruRadio.com with his sister, Molly Radio Dispatch . @JohnKnefel
He has covered the OWS activities in NYC extensively, including for Salon, had his photos picked up and been quoted in other news stories Last night at the Zuccotti barricades
There is a lot to be upset about in the police reaction to peaceful protests happening all over the country. There also appears to be an intentional strategy to interfere with journalists and others who are trying to cover the way in which authorities are responding to these peaceful, protected demonstrations.
From Molly's article:
Suddenly, the outer circle of cops was swarming in and violently pushing people away. John had been standing near the crowd, taking video. I was about 20 feet from him, and when I looked back in his direction, I saw his blue hood on the ground. I ran toward him and slid to the ground, leaning in between people’s knees to take pictures. John was face down on the ground being handcuffed, his glasses flung across the floor and people screaming, “Stop, stop, he didn’t do anything!”
A cop pulled me up by my shoulders and told me to step back. I said, “He’s my brother.” Several cops pushed me away as I asked, “What is he being arrested for? He was taking pictures.” A cop said, “He didn’t produce an official press pass, so that means he was resisting arrest.” I quite literally didn’t understand, so I said, “What?” At that point, the same cop said, “If you don’t step back immediately, you will be arrested too.”
And then this unbelievable exchange with the police:
But then, an officer said to him (another demonstrator), “Get out of my face. I have a gun, and I don’t need people up in my face like this.”
I said, “What did you just say?”
“I don’t like people in my face,” he said.
“I just saw my brother thrown to the ground by you guys,” I said.
“That wasn’t me,” he said.
“But it was the police. And now you just threatened to take out your gun?”
Another officer approached me and said, “Stop talking to him that way.”
I turned to him. “I’m talking to him because he told me about his gun. Why did he say that?”
The second officer just said, emphatically, “I don’t know why he said that,” which made me smile for a second.
But that didn’t last long, because all around me, the arrests were still happening. Cops were literally chasing people into corners. I went up to one and again asked, “Why are you doing this?”
“This is private property,” he responded.
“But this is a public area,” I said back.
“Get out,” he told me.
We are very proud of John and Molly.
8:26 PM PT: #FreeJohnKnefel