Judge orders release of 560 protesters

[Khephra]

New York — A Manhattan judge ordered city officials Thursday to process and release 560 anti-GOP protesters within hours after hearing that the detainees had all spent at least 36 hours in custody since their arrests.

The defendants, including scores who had spent more than 38 hours in custody since police picked them up on Tuesday, must be arraigned or brought to the holding pens at the arraignment courts by 5 p.m., said state Supreme Court Justice John Cataldo.

Legal Aid attorney Irwin Shaw told the judge that most of the protesters were held for minor offenses such as disorderly conduct. In contrast, he said, shoplifters and other petty criminals arrested on Wednesday night had already been released.

About 40 to 50 protesters gathered in a park across the street from the courthouse. They cheered and applauded as a few detainees walked out.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040902.wprotest0902/BNStory/International/

[BadGimp]

1. crowd supression - fuc^#rs

They hold em long enough to keep em off the streets

[billybob537]

2. They'll be out tonight

too bad Bush*

[tkulesa]

3. Awesome

Who's taking bets on how soon the first lawsuit hits our city for violating protester's civil rights.

It's no wonder city taxes are so damned high. Instead of cutting back on the services people need how about disciplining the $@%# cowboy cops?

Hello? Bloomberg? Is anybody listening?

[otohara]

4. Democracy Now Did Extensive

news on the treatment of prisoners at the Hudson River location where they haven't eaten anything but an apple, no place to go to the bathroom, people are getting sick from toxins left over from fire. judge issued order to let some go yesterday and it was not done.

[Boomer]

5. It's even worse than reported

Many of the people who were rounded up had no connection with the protests.

From the Daily Kos:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/9/2/143110/3025

Guantanamo on the Hudson
by theoria
Thu Sep 2nd, 2004 at 18:31:10 GMT

<snip>

My friend Jeff is here to take photographs of everything going on this week. Tuesday found him outside the NYC Library at 42nd and 6th, where a number of events were taking place. The police were plentiful, as they are on pretty much every corner in Manhattan these days.

Two youngsters began to drape a black flag on one of the lions, and white-shirted captain stepped forward and told them to stop. They'd just taken the flag down when another captain rushed forward and waved the first one off, calling on another group of police to take them down. The two kids quickly found themselves slammed face-down on the concrete, zip-cuffed and dragged away. The crowd that had gathered began to chant for their release, and to attempt to shame the police (hahaha.) The police warn that the crowd needed to disperse, and it does, for the most part. Bear in mind that this is the front area of the NYC Library, complete with table and chairs and kids and press and regular folks... and Jeff, who was taking pictures from a distance.

Well, the police formed a riot line at the top of the library steps and swept down them, scooping up whoever was still there. This included young people with their Macy's bags, NYU students who were there studying, families, grandmothers, etc. Everyone was eventually on the sidewalk, and they were directed to exit north on 6th toward Bryant Park. Of course, Bryant Park was barricaded, which was sorta the point. When Jeff and others saw the trap and turned around to go south (or run West across the street) the police line swooped around them with that damned orange fencing. Look out for that shit.

<snip>

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/9/2/143110/3025

[Kolesar]

6. Many of the prisoners in Abu Ghraib were "rounded up" as pedestrians

When a shooting or bombing happened, they just rounded up dozens of men and threw them in prison for months.

[NYC]

11. Wasn't Berard Kerik in Baghdad giving the new Iraqi police force

advice? (Kerik is former NYPD commissioner. Currently, we have Ray Kelly.)

[Rose Siding]

7. Another article quotes State Supreme Court Justice John Cataldo:

"These people have already been the victims of a process," the judge told the city's top lawyer. "I can no longer accept your statement that you are trying to comply."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=533&e=4&u=/ap/20040902/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_protests

Smacked 'em pretty good

[The Stranger]

8. Between the delicate rights of the individual and the power of the state,

stand the courts.

When Mr. Cardozo told the judge there might be cases where exceptional circumstances prevented detainees from getting release, Judge Cataldo shot back, “They would indeed have to be exceptional circumstances.”

[GalleryGod]

9. That's about a Half a MIL in fines! Bloomie can write the check!

Seig Heil, Field Marshall Bloomie!

[kayell]

10. Kick