March 27, 2008
Caught on Tape: NYPD Beats Down Buddhists
There have been several Free Tibet protests happening around town this month; one of them even featured city council member Tony Avella. While Tibetan protesters are routinely beaten, imprisoned and even killed by police in China, police brutality is something you might be surprised to see in New York City, unless of course you've attended demonstrations over the years and experienced it first hand. During a Free Tibet protest near the UN on March 14th, some NYPD officers were documented threatening, arresting and clubbing activists seemingly without provocation. In the below video it appears the protesters do nothing more than carry flags, walk on the sidewalk and chant. Yet officers identified as Leroy, Delgado and Serano, and others are depicted clubbing them even when they're down.
The cameraman stridently narrates while filming, saying, "Look at these cops, clubbing people in front of the UN, unbelievable, protesting to free Tibet, cops clubbing people in their legs on the sidewalk, in front of the UN in America, unbelievable, this is not China." He also notes that Officer Serano had threatened to kill two protesters, something the officer later admits to on tape. Don't cops learn about YouTube at the Police Academy these days?
When we contacted the NYPD, asking if they had a statement about the beatings caught on tape that day, we were told that they "wouldn't call what happened a beating." We're currently waiting for an emailed statement which we'll update this post with when received.
Caught on Tape: NYPD Beats Down Buddhists
There have been several Free Tibet protests happening around town this month; one of them even featured city council member Tony Avella. While Tibetan protesters are routinely beaten, imprisoned and even killed by police in China, police brutality is something you might be surprised to see in New York City, unless of course you've attended demonstrations over the years and experienced it first hand. During a Free Tibet protest near the UN on March 14th, some NYPD officers were documented threatening, arresting and clubbing activists seemingly without provocation. In the below video it appears the protesters do nothing more than carry flags, walk on the sidewalk and chant. Yet officers identified as Leroy, Delgado and Serano, and others are depicted clubbing them even when they're down.
The cameraman stridently narrates while filming, saying, "Look at these cops, clubbing people in front of the UN, unbelievable, protesting to free Tibet, cops clubbing people in their legs on the sidewalk, in front of the UN in America, unbelievable, this is not China." He also notes that Officer Serano had threatened to kill two protesters, something the officer later admits to on tape. Don't cops learn about YouTube at the Police Academy these days?
When we contacted the NYPD, asking if they had a statement about the beatings caught on tape that day, we were told that they "wouldn't call what happened a beating." We're currently waiting for an emailed statement which we'll update this post with when received.
2 comments:
Peaceful protest has been a cornerstone of the Tibetan struggle. It is through repeated human rights violations by China that the people of Tibet have armed themselves with their bodies and voices. It's a shame that the NYC police offers that are on payroll to protect do the opposite. Are we really at the level of an oppressive imperialist regime? The refugees of Tibet in New York City and supporters deserve better. I'm sure that Richard Gere would not get the same treatment.
It's also interesting that Bush took a stand in favor of the Tibeten people's autonomy from China. One would think that his desire would be to pacify China. I would like to know why He's chosen this route. It might be the only positive step in his sorry career as President.
I beg Governer Patterson and Bloomberg to take a firm look at the actions of the NYPD. An apology and change are due.
Retract first post. This is the original
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Peaceful protest has been a cornerstone of the Tibetan struggle. It is through repeated human rights violations by China that the people of Tibet have armed themselves with their bodies and voices. It's a shame that the NYC police officers that are on payroll to protect do the opposite. Are we really at the level of an oppressive imperialist regime? The refugees of Tibet in New York City and supporters deserve better. I'm sure that Richard Gere would not get the same treatment.
It's also interesting that Bush took a stand in favor of the Tibetan people's autonomy from China. One would think that his desire would be to pacify China. I would like to know why He's chosen this route. It might be the only positive step in his sorry career as President.
I beg Governor Patterson and Bloomberg to take a firm look
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