Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/09/09
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Wow that is SICK, I am shocked. Frank --- Kyle Cassidy <KCassidy@asc.upenn.edu> wrote: > Marc dared me with his strong suspicion: > > >Without knowing anything about your detention, I > strongly suspect that you > >are being more than a bit coy by claiming that the > reasons for your > >detention were "inexplicable". > > >If you dare, give us your version of just what > occurred which led to your > >detention. > > So here it is. > > I'd been hired by Silicon Alley, to photograph the > Republican National > Convention. Silicon Alley is primarily focused on > technology so they were > interested in what the Republicans are going to do > for the technology > industry. I was on "radio row" on the third floor of > Madison Square Garden > -- Imagine a bunch of booths lined up along walls, > each with a talk radio > host in it screaming into a microphone. It's sort of > like that. (I was > between Sean Hannity and G. Gordon Liddy) Now, drop > into this room a random > list of political celeberties who walk from booth to > booth being > interviewed. Radio producers wander down the halls, > looking for people who > will add life to their show, then drag them over to > their booth. I ran > around with a camera and photographed this. > > Here's a photo of Newt Gingrich and Trent Lott: > > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_4279.jpg > > > The delegates arrive around 6:00 and I trundle out > to the floor to > photograph people in silly hats and the speakers, > most of the crew from > Silicon Alley took that time to edit interviews and > file stories. Between > the morning when everybody shows up and the evening > when the convention > starts, there's a lot of dead time, it was dead on > Tuesday so Susan, the > reporter I was working with, and I decided to go > find some delegates on the > street and interview them. We figured the place to > find them would be Ground > Zero. So we jumped on a train. Down at the WTC site > we didn't find any > delegates, at least none wearing their credentials, > but we found a few > anti-bush people milling about. So Susan interviewed > the Iraqi Veterans > Against The War and a few other people. > > http://www.siliconalley.net/rnc/831/vets1.jpg > > We spotted a guy carrying a big sign that said "VOTE > FOR RALPH NADER" we > weren't sure if he was a Republican or a Nader > supporter. So we went over > and started talking to him. He told us he was about > to start marching, but > we could walk along and talk with him. > > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_3745.jpg > > > There were about two hundred people, about twice as > many more turned out not > to be marchers, but rather simply tourists milling > about ground zero. As the > group I was in crossed Church street (the first 50 > steps of the march), a > policeman with a bull horn announced "This march > does not have a permit. If > you break any New York traffic laws, you will be > subject to arrest." My take > on this was "do not j-walk, do not stand in the > street, do not block > traffic, don't do any hippy-civil-disobedience-type > stuff." We crossed with > the light and Susan was still talking to the Nader > guy and I'm still taking > pictures of him. The time from us meeting him up to > this point was probably > about 45 seconds. > > We were about 1/2 way down the block when bicycle > cops pulled up along side > us and blocked our way. An officer in a white shirt > ran past in the street > shouting "Everybody on this block is under arrest, > they're all under > arrest!" I walk away from where Susan and the Nader > guy are still talking to > see what's going on in front of us. > > One of the marchers tried to work out a solution > with the police, but it was > clear they were having none of it. > > "I don't know what we're being arrested for. Tell us > what you want us to do, > and we'll do it," he said. The police didn't say > anything. > > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_3751.jpg > > It was at this point I realized things were getting > serious and they weren't > going to just let people go. I asked the policeman > immediately in front of > me if I could leave, since I was press. He shook his > head and said "no". > > Note baffled Reuters photographer trying to figure > out why we're under > arrest: > > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_3750.jpg > > And baffled dude with a Leica wondering the same > thing: > > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_3748.jpg > > Also note not-very-blocked sidewalk. > > Great. I'd been in New York eight hours and was > already being detained. I > figured I was going to spend the next week in jail > in nyc, which is not what > I wanted. As far as I could tell, nobody had done > anything illegal. Susan > came up to where I was standing and I asked another > cop the same question. > Susan waved our press credentials, he looked around > for someone to ask, > apparently there was nobody. Finally after about 10 > minutes, he let us go, > moving his bike back about a foot he said "go > ahead." We hurried across the > street where the rest of the media was gathered. > > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_3866.jpg > > Police warned the media not to step out in the > street or we could be > arrested. We stayed on the sidewalk and watched as > the protesters were > surrounded by orange portable fencing and one by one > flex-cuffed and taken > away. > > Photos of the dangerous protesters being taken away: > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_3977.jpg > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_3986.jpg > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_3997.jpg > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_3901.jpg > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/2004/rnc/aDSC_3930.jpg > > Word later that night was that the arrests were for > walking more than two > abreast on a sidewalk. However, delegates, press, > and various others were > walking more than two abreast with impunity right > outside madison square > garden when I got back: > > http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/temp/2004/crowd.jpg > > So ... Having been there, I think the detentions and > arrests were > inexplicable. > > > The NYPD were on guard: one of their > >members was put into the hospital in critical > condition by a battering from > >one of the "peaceful protestors", after all, and > that, alone, would put > >every officer on the beat on guard. And, on this, > I am on their side: the > >right to protest does NOT include the right to > violence, a minor factoid > >generally ignored by the US media. > > I thought you were a libertarian! (and for the > record, "peaceful protesters" > don't batter anyone. Thugs do and they should be > arrested, charged, and > prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. > > === message truncated ===