The Charge of the Fright Brigade – Caught on Camera

“Oh Friend of Mine, Don’t Be Denied!”

Police on scooters charge into protesters (Broadway, just south of Liberty Plaza - 10/14/11)

All day presidents
look out windows
All night sentries
watch the moonglow
All are waiting till
the time is right
Son, don’t be home too late
Try to get back by eight
Son, don’t wait
till the break of day
‘Cause you know
how time fades away.
Time fades away
You know how time fades away.

Back in Canada I spent my days
Riding subways through a haze
I was handcuffed,
I was born & raised
Son, don’t be home too late
Try to get back by eight
Son, don’t wait
till the break of day
‘Cause you know
how time fades away.
Time fades away
You know how time fades away.

~~~~ “Time Fades Away” (Neil Young (1973) – listen!

[Update: 11/20/11 – As expected, the Charge of the Fright Brigade video at UC Davis pepper spray has gone viral – mainstream news reporting outrage and call for resignations. Police defend attacks as “typical police procedure” (read and watch) – including this “iconic” photo:

Credit: (Randy L. Rasmussen, The Oregonian)

As I was just sitting here, staring at my computer screen, trying to summon the energy and focus to write about my experiences during Thursday’s Occupy Wall Street’s “Day of Action”, this piece by Joshua Holland on Truthout just appeared in my email in basket.

It is titled: Caught on Camera: Ten Shockingly Violent Police Assaults on Occupy Protesters

(warning – extreme violence)

If that doesn’t make you sick and get you charged up, nothing will.

But before I write about Thursday, I need to document an earlier episode I witnessed that is caught on video in assault event #7 of Holland’s piece (the smaller one that begins with the Charles Schwab advertisement).

I can be seen in the far right of the screen, just after the interview of the guy with the hat on. I am walking away from the conflict and downing my coffee.

That assault was an outrage, but it was dwarfed by police tactics just prior to the assault.

But let me first explain the context.

This above photo (and the Truthout video) was shot early in the morning of on 10/14/11, after the NYC cops had backed down from first eviction threat.

The day before, OWS had put out an emergency alert on the pending eviction, and thousands of supporters had massed in the park and along the entire perimeter early that morning. (I briefly wrote about it and posted photos here).

So, after the NYC Police decision to back down from the planned eviction was announced, a crowd of celebrators started a parade down Broadway, towards Bowling Green, chanting:.

“Whose street? Our street”

This action triggered numerous minor skirmishes and a game of cat and mouse with police.

As I joined protesters and we all worked back towards Liberty plaza, a group of protesters began to block Broadway (aside from protecting the Bull, maintaining the flow of traffic through Broadway traffic seemed to be the cops’ top priority).

What then happened has gotten no attention – I am referring to the action of police just prior to the assault shown on the video (where a cop sucker punches a guy in the face in #7).

What the video doesn’t show is that less than a minute before this assault, cops on motorcycles charged into protesters who had peacefully tried to block Broadway.

Cops on these motorcycle -scooters formed a line across the road.

They  stopped while protesters were told to get on the sidewalk. But then, all of  sudden, the cops on the bikes just accelerated and drove right into protesters!

(look closely at above photo and you can see below photo  what I will call “The charge of the fright brigade”,  just milliseconds before it happened. The National Lawyers Guild folks are in the green hats. I documented the incident with them but have heard nothing back. Guess with NYC cops, vehicle assault is chump change).

To me, that conscious, deliberate, planned police assault tactic was FAR worse than one angry out of control sucker punch from a crazy cop.

Still trying to get energy and mental focus to write about Thursday’s events right now.

But one thing I will say now before I do:

The cops aren’t the only ones afraid of the Occupy Wall Street Movement – so are the oligarchs, banksters, and their elite servants in government and politics (AKA “The 1%”).

Like Neil said “Don’t be Denied” (listen!)

When we got to Winnipeg
I checked in to school.
I wore white bucks on my feet,
When I learned the golden rule.
The punches came fast and hard
Lying on my back
in the school yard. …

Well, all that glitters isn’t gold
I know you’ve heard
that story told.
And I’m a pauper
in a naked disguise
A millionaire
through a business man’s eyes.
Oh friend of mine
Don’t be denied.