If you thought the Occupy movement was dead and buried, you may be disappointed. It seems the movement is recollecting for what may be another string of boisterous protests. On Saturday night, chaos erupted in Oakland, California, after Occupiers threw rocks and flares at police officers. In response, authorities used tear gas and, hours later, hundreds of protesters were arrested.
On Monday evening, the drama spread to New York City, among other localities, where 12 Occupy Wall Street demonstrators were arrested after they held a march in solidarity with their Oakland compatriots.
The march, which started at Washington Square Park and ended at Tompkins Square Park, took on some unusual elements. Masked protesters apparently took a prominent role at the event. Additionally, there was a divide that separated the majority of Occupiers from a small subset that seemed willing to engage in violence. Both in Oakland and New York, some Occupiers took to hurling items at police officers.
In New York, these instances were limited, but troubling nonetheless. The Village Voice reports on the spectacle’s change in tone:
In some ways, the action was a lot like many Occupy Wall Street marches that have come before — chanting, weaving through neighborhoods, occasionally sprinting to outflank the police, finally petering out.
But there were some new elements too: More of the protesters wore black and masked their faces, a protest tactic called Black Bloc that makes it harder for police to pick individuals out of the crowd. Snapple-bottles and soda cans were thrown at police. And a well-known video journalist was assaulted by a masked marcher.
Tim Pool, a journalist covering Occupy (a self-described sympathizer who does not necessarily identify with the movement), was attacked last night during the protest. His arm was “chopped” and his camera was knocked out of his hand. While he was not badly injured, this incident illustrates the intensified nature of the protest.
And here’s a larger version of Rudkowski’s pictures of the man who struck Pool:
| Luke Rudkowski
Gothamist reports reiterates that several protesters threw glass bottles and other items in the direction of NYPD officers last night:
And these are only two of the examples presented. Below, watch the scene after police reach the man in the latter scenario. The video exposes a chaotic situation, with police reacting and protesters engaging in their familiar chanting (caution: strong language): See More: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/masked-occupiers-attack-cops-with-bottles-during-nighttime-march/ |


