This dangerous looking Bonnie and Clyde couple has finally been nabbed by the police in New York City. Caroline Stern, a dentist, and George Hess, a movie prop master, were returning from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night’s Swing when they decided to cut loose at the Columbus Circle station. They danced. That’s right. Right in front of drug dealers, purse snatchers, and assorted felons, they danced. Thankfully, they were promptly arrested and the New York subway system was able to return to its joyless natural state.
The arrest occurred last year when they began dancing the Charleston as a musician played the steel drums. Police immediately demanded to know what they were doing. While they appear to have missed the greatest straight line and say “the Charleston,” the couple explained that they were dancing. The shocked New York officers informed them that the Burgermeister Meisterburger had prohibited dancing at the station. After all, how can a person be expected to score a coke deal with a middle-aged couple doing the Charleston on the platform?
Now here is the interesting part, when Hess pulled out his camera to record the bizarre incident, the officers reportedly got aggressive and called for backup. (Too bad he did not have the new ACLU App). The couple claims that Hess, 54, was tackled by officers.
They were both charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for ‘impeding the flow of traffic.” (It is a good thing that they were not doing the Fox-Trot or they would have been charged with cruelty to animals).
It is an all too familiar pattern that we have seen with citizens who film police. The charges were later dropped — another common aspect of these cases. Another common element is the total lack of discipline for the officers in bringing such charges or investigation into whether the confrontation was triggered by a citizen exercising his first amendment right to film police.
Source: Daily Mail
leej, It’s hard to go it alone. A “honk if” sign is helpful. A few honks can do wonders to lift the spirit and let you know you really aren’t alone.
Bettykath I tried here with moveon and even with them getting the info out we had no interest. As much of a louyd mouth as I can be standing alone I couldn’t do but youre right it is the way to get the word out.
Well said Mike S. the 99% versus the 1% is a great rallying cry.
btw, a letter to the editor or to an events column could be an invitation for folks to join an anti-war vigil. Demonstration might sound too active. Yes, our group has done candle light vigils and noisy demonstrations in addition to the regular reasonably quiet picketing.
We have an anti-war group that is on the main street corner every Saturday 11-12. The ages of the people in the group varies, but mostly older folks. This group has been active September 2011. It has been an entrant in the annual parade. I used to take part every week but have slowed down some lately. At its peak the group would have to walk so we didn’t block the side walk. A full block length of people. It’s down to about a half dozen stalwarts. When I was in another county caring for my mother, I joined another group (I had a choice of two) that demonstrated every week. I’m not there any more so I don’t know if they are still active. All it takes is a “group” of one with an appropriate sign and a bottle of water (to prevent dehydration), a folding chair if you can’t stand or walk. Have some extra signs at the ready and if someone expresses an interest, hand them a sign and invite them to join you. Same time and place every week.
When the tanks rolled in a parade recently, one man stood alone in front of them. Why was he standing alone? I so appreciate his action but I would have stood and applauded if those on the sidelines had joined him.
Another idea for older folks: letters to the editor – one topic at a time, well written, as short as possible to make the point.
The media is kind of ignoring Occupy when they do do something (but at least in Phila that is their m.o., they ignored the protestors against Romney when Romney didnt stop where he was supposed to apparently because there were protestorsand they gave a whole minute to the nuns on the bus when they protested against Mike Fitzpatrick showing Fotzpatrick shaking their hands but notword one of what the nuns said (or the protestors)
I stopped being a part of Occupy Philly because they were so scattered and protesting things that were totally non occupy related and divisive.
@feemeister – Can’t say much about anything else, but “humming” might be pled to a disorderly, and getting a hummer usually ends you up on a “John” list.
This rapper who sang about police corruption in Morocco got a whole year in jail:
Belghouat, a 24-year-old nicknamed “The Rancorous One” and known for songs critical of the Moroccan monarchy, was arrested on March 28 and sentenced on May 11 to a year in prison.
He was accused of “insulting a police officer in the exercise of his duties” after a YouTube video of one of his songs was uploaded to the Internet, and was fined 1,000 dirhams ($110).
The song, set to a Belghouat tune called “Kilab al-Dawla” (“Dogs of the State” in Arabic), denounces police corruption, according to Human Rights Watch which last month criticized the rapper’s sentence
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/jailed-moroccan-rapper-begins-hunger-strike
That sounds encouraging. Any “established” folks like schoolteachers, librarians, academics with tenure, etc.
Or just unemployed and students. Just wondering.
Some guy out in a small town in CA said they were
going after the city council to get them to move their money to a local bank to fight Wall Street and big banks.
Would have been a great move if it had gone viral over the country, or succeeded at all.
Something for you guys?
Of course, you said, you ain’t seen nothing yet to them.
Flippancy is the sign of youth or senile elders like me.
Remember in Raleigh, NC in ’58 when the black well qualifieds picketed the Wachovia Bank for jobs.
Now if that had any influence I don’t know. But Washington has shown its use of new parks law to give out misdemeanors, and even felonies if you have what can be deemed a weapon (picket pole???) on you. Or in the vicinity of SS boys guarding our leaders. All they have to do is run Biden by us a couple of times in his tank, and we’re sitting in a concentration camp waiting out the war on terror. Just joking???
Not so sure.
Let’s drink a cheer to Saul Alinsky. Look him up on Wike or google him. Good advice. Can give you a link to his guidelines. Number six was: If your people are not having a ball, then change your tactics.
707
our occupy crew definitely didn’t fade out immediately or die from being arrested for minor infractions. The many court dates and lack of meaningful results drove many of us to pool our time and energy with the larger regional cities like occupyDC, though.
We did pester our city council enough to pass an appeasing resolution denouncing the citizens united decision. Pretty hollow victory. City said ‘ok, you got something, now get off the streets or face more wrath’.
My opinion of OWS is that they won and their demonstration methods served their usefulness, but other methods are now needed. How did they win one may ask? They won because they finally came up with a lasting meme for the Left in the 1% v. 99%. This is something to build on since it finally allows us to battle on more or less even terms with the “no more taxes, government is bad” memes.
Blindfaithiness,
Thanks for the frontline report.
Congratulations on surviving. Before the 70’s you might have been found in a swamp, if at all.
So, did it die with that?
Has Bloomberg ever had any “fun”??? He does not believe others should have it either.
I wonder if the expelled mental patients are still sleeping on traffic medians in broad daylight?
Maybe we could move some to in front of Bloomberg’s places. He has several. Let’em lie on the medians there. Or move some to the Statue of Liberty or whatever the former immigrant island was.
We could start a movement using these folks, if we feede them, clean them, and let our nation know they exist. All they can do is to forbid us, or???
Unfortunately, Reagan gets a pass.
707
Occupy did serve to get us marked in my mid size southern city. Police forensics teams videotaped us and then selectively arrested occupy protesters weeks later for jaywalking. They sent us a message.
I cant speak to the future and effectiveness of activism.
Woosty,
Of course you are right. But, I see so little searching for accord here. Perhaps that means there is none to be found and our “leaders” are right to force us follow theirs. But expecting activism from this age and work group was not very amart.
BettyKath,
re ur first two. good imo comments. thanks. yeah, much too much tit for tat here. is it the nature of a lawyer’s work. always have an answer ready. better than theirs. keep an eye on if there’s blood in the opponent’s eye, and if the jury or judge is sleeping.
thanks for the tip on using the current comments.
Activism waw a childish wish. only old folks here. certainly no activist candidates.
Maybe MikeS, the 60’s activist, can give us his take on OWS and open activism has any future in America.
Or is it only a way to get marked or worse
where’s kevin bacon when you need him
rafflaw
ask these people if dancing is protected speech or expression.
spoiler: its a video of people getting arrested for dancing at the jefferson memorial
This guy would have been in a world o’ hurt…
http://youtu.be/ac6o8PXthzQ
707,
More on Zimmerman. The tests with the gun and Martin’s sweatshirt and hoodie show a contact shot. Forensic tests show gunshot residue on Zimmerman’s hands, but point out that it could be from being in the vicinity of a shot. The gunshot residue on his shirt and jacket show residue ONLY on the UPPER BACK part of his jacket sleeve.
Disgusting actions by the NYPD and their bosses. Isn’t dancing and other artistic expressions guaranteed First Amendment actions? Now, if they had only incorporated before they danced, they would not have been bothered by the police??