Occupy Wall Street – the story of the Brooklyn Bridge 'trap'

[underpants]

Source: The Guardian (blog)

To the hundreds of Occupy Wall Street protesters hemmed in on Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, it felt like a trap. Hundreds of people had streamed onto the bridge without impediment, only to find their path blocked, and their retreat prohibited.

They tell a similar story: of confusion at the division between the pedestrian walkway and the traffic lanes on the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge, of apparent police acquiescence to the march proceeding into the traffic lanes, of shock when it became clear the police intended to arrest everyone on the bridge, and then of hours of confusion in police precincts across the city as overworked police officers struggled to process a huge volume of arrests.

But first some context: protesters say this video shows police led them onto the traffic lanes of the Brooklyn Bridge. It shows a number of police officers apparently headed by one, wearing a long, orange-lined coat, leading protesters into the Brooklyn-bound traffic lane.

From the marchers' accounts, we have established that a small group decided not to take the pedestrian walkway. Instead, they stopped at the entrance to the traffic lanes, chanting "take the bridge!" and putting pressure on the police line. As the police video shows, a warning was given – but eventually the police gave up their attempts to holding the line, appeared to let the group though, and even led them onto the bridge.

Some have suggested these breakaway leaders may have been "agents provocateurs". What is clear is that the march had now divided, and the hundreds of protesters bringing up the rear had no indication that walking onto the bridge would lead them to be arrested.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/oct/03/occupy-wall-street-brooklyn-bridge-arrests

[madrchsod]

1. of course there are "agents" in that movement......

[Eljo_Don]

2. agents provocateurs

Just look what the white bold man with the large red star on his back do at about 4:30. He puts on a black police shirt with white letters that identify him as a police officer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fockzr7rXys

[glowing]

3. I saw that... They know how to move mobs of people.

Those in the back had no idea what was going on and they weren't even let out the other side...

[No Elephants]

4. Look what the DU said about that Sunday, though.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=5013331&mesg_id=5013331