Boston - All afternoon at the Dewey Square encampment occupiers would relay the latest gossip between camps like town criers warning of an impending attack. "Police are forming on High Street!" one would yell and then relay throughout the growing encampment. The tension was growing by the hour... Midnight came and went but there was a growing public safety presence in the area...Then at approximately 1:20 am a large column of riot police marched from outside South Station up Atlantic Ave. The crowd roared variations of "Who do you protect who do you serve!" and "This is what democracy looks like" as the cops marched up the street. At 1:40 am the police barreled through the first line of defense the occupiers put up, an old veterans group carrying flags known as Veterans for Peace. While officers began arresting occupiers and tearing down tents they kept pushing others back, sometimes throwing them to the ground. People were screaming and yelling stupid nonsense at the police but most complied, albeit angrily...Within twenty minutes the park was clear of protesters and DPW workers were throwing the remains of the camp into garbage trucks...On the other hand this may further cloud what the occupy movement is about. They may draw more people to their events due to anger at the police but that isn't really what they want. They want to get whatever their message is out to more people and their message involves high powered bankers and government officials, not police officers.
I edited and cut and paste the above so if you want to get the whole story please click the link, I may not agree with the group, but I'm not trying to censor their side of the story...
That said, I cannot even tell you how many "activists" I saw linking this story on Facebook and Twitter yesterday complaining of "unwarranted arrests" and "police brutality." I've seen the videos. I don't agree with how physical some of the police officers were, but I don't blame them either.
I don't know where the Occupiers get off complaining of unwarranted arrests, I really don't. 1. You're occupying public property with out proper permit, they can technically give you the boot whenever they want to. 2) You're trespassing by being there that late, its a public park, I don't know the exact hours, but I'm guessing by 1 AM, you're there after the stated hours of use. And 3) I learned through experience in college, you have the right to peacefully assemble, but the minute one or two of your "occupiers" spit, toss trash, verbally assault, or physically act out, your whole group has ceased to "peacefully" assemble. Yes, 1 or 2 people can ruin it for the whole group. If the police make that determination, that this has switched from a peaceful assembly to a non-peaceful one, they're going to disperse you. If you continue to disobey, plan on being arrested, plan on a show of force, but for godsakes don't cry about it.
All day long tweets to #occupyboston had borderline been cheery about the potential for a mass-arrest for your civil disobediance, people practically bragging about the chance for the largest arrest in Massachusetts history. Then when it actually happens everyone's so quick to claim it wasn't fair, illegal, or brutality. Give me a break, you've officially lost me at that point. Cops are there to protect and serve you but they also serve the rest of the city, and its property too. If they determine enough is enough, they're going to act, everyone there should understand the circumstances of their protest and the reality that with that many people all gathered in one spot, someone is going to ruin it for everyone, and at that point, your little peace parade is over.
