Two years ago right about now, I was trapped in a barricaded section of the sidewalk along with about 20 other occupiers between Cedar & Pine St on Broadway across from Zuccotti Park. We had been shoved into this area and were being kept there by a phlanx of NYPD in riot gear who were preventing us from leaving. We had witnessed them recklessly throwing all of everyones possessions into a huge unruly pile, with obvious disregard for it & zero intention to return it. As we watched, they threw all manner of things there, bike generators, bikes, mattresses, computers, tents, film gear, cameras, lights, tables, signs, books, shelving units, food, just every imaginable thing. They had shoved everyone out of their tents while bright lights and a disorienting sound cannon blasted our ears. They told everyone just to leave everything in the park, they gave no time for people to gather their possessions or pack. I heard them reassure many folks that they could come get their stuff at sanitation the next day. As we stood there watching, they pulled a giant dumpster truck up to throw everything in, broken, pouring food and liquids on top of the books and laptops they crushed in the process. There was a huge surging crowd on the other side of Pine, but we few were trapped for 5 or 6 hours, some longer in this barricaded section, not being allowed to leave, freezing our asses off and needing to pee. I remember around 6am, I had been leaning into the cops on the Pine Street side, trying to convince them to let me out, for hours. Their expressions did not belie much comprehension at all, as though they were statues with billy clubs that would automatically rise if I got too close. We were right across from the church. Finally, I got the attention of a White shirt and shouted to him that I had to go to church. He said Let the lady through, she needs to go to church and the sea of cops parted as though the white shirt was actually Moses parting the Red Sea. Who knew that church was the magic word to restore a citizens civil liberties? I went around the block down to Liberty Street and crossed another line, convincing the NYPD stationed down there that I was in dire need of a restroom, this time not needing the magic church word, but only the word URINATE. I passed the west side of the park and saw the sanitation workers hosing it down, everything gone in the dawns light. The pizza place on the corner would not allow me to use their restroom although I offered to buy a slice. I ended up circumventing the entire park, going to good old McDonalds to use their bathroom. I then returned to the top part of the park, bought a bunch of bananas from the vendors there and went back over to my trapped comrades and started handing out bananas. The cops there forced me back INTO the barricaded area at this point and again refused my exit! I told them I was just outside of the barricaded part moments before and I needed to return to my former yet short lived freedom to walk freely and go home. They were being absolute dicks. I again got the attention of a White shirt and told him I needed to get to the A train to make my way home. He scolded the cops and told them to let me out. As I made my exit, I couldnt help but grin at the douchey cop who was trying to keep me trapped as he looked rather defeated. Here is a short video from that morning
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 11:06:08 +0000
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