What 1st Amendment? Police Confiscate Occupy Trenton Protest Signs And Media Gear #OccupyWallStreet
Posted by Alexander Higgins - October 14, 2011 at 11:07 pm - Permalink - Source via Alexander Higgins Blog
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Loading ...NJ State Police confiscate protest signs, media gear and equipment from the Occupy Trenton site across from the state capitol
This story has made national news headlines.
After repeatedly complying with State Police orders to remove more and more items from the Occupy Trenton site, the NJ State Police came into the camp and removed all the protestors supplies, media equipment, and gear. The only thing left behind was some of the signs which the protestors recorded being confiscated.
Here are my previous reports leading up to the incident.
Police To Occupy Trenton – Final Deadline – DOT Truck Coming To Confiscate Everything At 12:00pm
NJ state police has given Occupy Trenton a final deadline of 12:00pm, after which a DOT truck will be on site to confiscate and trash all items.
Police Warn #OccupyTrenton To Vacate In One Hour Or Face Arrest #OccupyWallStreet
#OccupyTrenton Protests are refusing to follow police orders to vacate within one hour or face equipment confiscation and arrest
From the press…
NorthJersey.com initially reported on the orders to remove signs of “permanence” and encampment.
State police tell Trenton protesters to move their stuff
Thursday, October 13, 2011SUSAN K. LIVIOSTATE HOUSE BUREAUState House BureauTRENTON – Participants of the Occupy Trenton protest may stay, but their tents, tables and most other vestiges of their eight-day encampment across the street from the State House must be gone by Friday, the State Police confirmed Thursday night.
Acting on the orders of the Attorney General’s Office, a lieutenant informed the protesters “They cannot have a permanent structure,” State police spokesman Sgt. Julian Castellanos said. “There’s nothing there that can have a sense of permanency. But they can stay 24-7.”
The state police took issue with the around-the-clock protest “with families coming in and out,” said a Trenton resident who identified himself only as Johnny. “They said it wasn’t like a protest. It was like we were camping.”
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CBS New York reported, prior to the confiscation on the orders to remove more items. (Photo, radio interview at link)
Occupy Wall Street Protesters In Trenton Told To Remove Tents
TRENTON, NJ (AP / WCBS 880) - Participants aligned with the Occupy Wall Street protest have removed their tents from New Jersey’s World War II Memorial in Trenton after police told them they could not keep any “permanent structures” at the site.
WCBS 880′s Levon Putney In The NJ Capital
State police told the handful of protesters Thursday at the small memorial site to remove anything that could be considered permanent by Friday after the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs asked for assistance.
Protesters are free to stay. On Friday morning, there were only two.
A spokesman for state Attorney General Paula Dow said Friday that the Veterans Affairs Department is within its rights to enforce rules at the memorial that were already in place before the protest started on Oct. 6. The attorney general’s office represents the Veterans Affairs Department and oversees state police.
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Read the rest on CBS New York…
NJ.com, the Star-Ledger, the state’s largest newspaper ran an AP report on our compliance with the initial orders.
Occupy Trenton participants have removed tents from protest area
Published: Friday, October 14, 2011, 12:03 PM Updated: Friday, October 14, 2011, 12:07 PM
TRENTON — Participants aligned with the Occupy Wall Street protest have removed their tents from New Jersey’s World War II Memorial in Trenton after police told them they could not keep any “permanent structures” at the site.
State police told the handful of protesters Thursday at the small memorial site to remove anything that could be considered permanent by today after the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs asked for assistance.
Protesters are free to stay. This morning, there were only two.
A spokesman for state Attorney General Paula Dow said today that the Veterans Affairs Department is within its rights to enforce rules at the memorial that were already in place before the protest started on Oct. 6. The attorney general’s office represents the Veterans Affairs Department and oversees state police.
“It’s been very peaceful so far,” Dow spokesman Paul Loriquet said of the protesters.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
Alexander Higgins, a 31-year-old blogger from Brick who has been at the site nearly every day since Oct. 6, said a state trooper arrived overnight and told the group to remove most of the material they had laying around or face arrest. He said they were told again this morning to remove their belongings or the items would be removed by sanitation workers.
After a night of rain, the tents and canopies had been taken down by this morning. Most of the protesters’ belongings were stuffed into large plastic tubs stacked neatly around the memorial, with the exception of an inner tube, and a few yoga mats and couch cushions strewn across marble benches. A generator was powering Higgins’ computer and live video stream of the site.
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Read the rest on the Star Ledger
Yet, as the video show, above they came in and took everything, as reported by NBC out of New York
NJ Cops Clean Site of Wall Street Protest
A handful of protesters have been at the site since Oct. 6, with a few staying around the clock
AP
Alexander Higgins, left, of Bricktown, N.J., and Justin Phillips, of Cranford, N.J., work at their computers at a table across from the Statehouse.
State police and sanitation workers on Friday started removing belongings from Occupy Wall Street protesters left at the World War II Memorial in Trenton after police told them they could not keep any “permanent structures” at the site.
A handful of protesters have been at the site since Oct. 6, with a few staying around the clock.
On Thursday, protesters took down tents and canopies erected at the site after state troopers told them to do so. They were warned on Friday to remove plastic bins and a generator, among other items, otherwise the items would be removed.
By noon, state police kept their word and started carting away coolers and other items as about five protesters, who were outnumbered by reporters, watched.
“These are items people in a public park would bring with them on any given day to any public park,” said protester Alexander Higgins, a 31-year-old blogger from Brick who has been at the site nearly every day since Oct. 6. “People go into parks and set up tables all the time. If we were playing chess at the table, this wouldn’t be a problem.”
The memorial is run by the state Military and Veterans Affairs Department. A spokesman for the attorney general’s Office, which represents the department, said the department is within its rights to enforce rules at the memorial that were already in place before the protest started.
“Protesters have a right to demonstrate but not a right to take over the park,” said Lee Moore, a spokesman for Attorney General Paula Dow. “We have safety issues there and we have to make sure this property is available to anyone who wants to enjoy it.”
He said any property confiscated would be placed in storage and could be claimed within 24 hours.
Protesters said they had straightened up their belongings and weren’t bothering anyone. They saw the removal of property as a tacit way of evicting them.
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Read the rest on NBC New York
Blue Jersey reporter Bill Orr who was also on the scene reports:
Day 9: Occupy Trenton: “Adversity Only Makes You Stronger”
by: Bill Orr
Fri Oct 14, 2011 at 06:38:21 PM EDT
Occupy Trenton, sandwiched in between the State House on one side and a State Police Office on the other, today got no attention from legislators but plenty of attention from state troopers. As with previous days plainclothes trooper John Emmer (“I’m just here to do what I’m told”) was present with his camera taking photos of the site and attendees. Participants had been advised that at noon troopers would arrive with a truck to cart away everything that was “not on a person,” except for signs and banners. Participants had already removed key items, but with six to eight troopers standing around, they had two workmen who took away drinks, food, bedding, medicines, media equipment, literature and anything lying around. After completing their task Lieutenant Hanley told an organizer where they could pick up the material tomorrow, and said, “We welcome your right to protest,” as he walked away. Really? Officer Hanley did not appear to be operating a welcome wagon. Nonetheless, participants were respectful of the police, and there was no violence.
Like a baby just born into a family, lots of people are fussing over Occupy Trenton – not just the police, Attorney-General Paula Dow and possibly her boss. The baby is a fast learner but is still developing its walking legs. Although not yet ready to formalize its goals, it plans a “meet and greet” tomorrow with Progressive Democrats of America, on Sunday with MoveOn.org, and on Thursday with the Tea Party. Members of several such groups, including a union, were there today. As one organizer said, “We are not a left thing or a right thing.” Although they avoid the word “rally” or “demonstration,” something similar is under discussion for the near future.
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Read the rest on Blue Jersey…
The Houston Chronicle has some photos which show just how little was left after we vacated nearly all signs of the encampment.
And here is a photo of the site before being cleaned up
Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger Less than a dozen protesters man the camp at Occupy Trenton on Tuesday at a much smaller off-shoot of Occupy Wall Street.
Regardless, after the police stole everything off the site, we stayed.
After gear is removed, Trenton protest continues
New Jersey State Police ordered the removal of tents and supplies a small group of protesters in Trenton had accumulated during their round-the-clock demonstration against corporate greed.
And outgrowth of the Occupy Wall Street movement, the group staked out territory in the World War II Memorial Park across for the Statehouse.
A spokesman for New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow said all the stuff protesters had gathered restricted the public’s ability to enjoy the park. So State Police Friday ordered that everything other than the demonstrators’ signs and water had to go.
That irritated protester Alexander Higgins of Brick.
“I think it’s an infringement on my constitutional rights. I mean we’re definitely out here for legitimate purposes,” Higgins said.
Another protester, Trenton resident Mike Jarkowski, said the clean sweep doesn’t matter much to him.
“I got my voice and I got this sign. That’s all I need,” he said.
[...]
Read the rest on News Works
In fact, by the time I left a little before 9 PM there where a group of nearly 30 people at the site on the road protesting.
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I think since you can get to the organizers for the movement, that might like this information, on there RIGHTS!
People need to know they indeed do have rights but they must know there rights.
I would love to see the Police try to take down the movement and hear the people start saying this information out loud!
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Our Beautiful Planet will be occupying Phoenix today. Occupy Phoenix starts today October 15th 2011
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[...] Story: http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2011/10/14/police-confiscate-occupy-trenton-…NJ State Police moved in at 12:00PM today and took all of the Occupy Trenton supplies, signs, and [...]
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Keep on protesting even if all you can do is hold up a paper napkin with “Occupy” written on it!
And check out the National Lawyer’s Guild to file a suit against the police. You can probably get pro bono help.
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[...] Police Confiscate Occupy Trenton Protest Signs And Media Gear #OccupyWallStreet. [...]
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[...] Background: Trenton Police Raid And Steal Everything From Occupy Trenton site: [...]
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