ACLU moves onto street defending Occupy Wall StreetTeams of New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) legal observers, staff and volunteers have moved into the Occupy Wall Street event Friday to defend the protesters right to speak their minds from heavy-handed police according to the ACLU at noon Friday and Tweets of releived protesters. NYCLU is also offering trainings to the protesters and recording police misconduct.
"The NYCLU is here to ensure that the NYPD respect and strengthen the protest rights of all New Yorkers," the ACLU stated in a written statement that it posted on its website shortly after noon Friday.
ACLU titled its statement released Friday, "Protecting Protest at Occupy Wall Street."
"Teams of NYCLU staff and volunteers regularly visit the movement's headquarters at Zuccotti Park to distribute our Know Your Rightsinformation and engage the demonstrators' on their experiences with the NYPD," ACLU stated in a written statement Friday.
"The park's makeshift library is well-stocked with our Demonstrating in New York City and What to Do if You're Stopped by the Police guides. We're engaging the protestors on Facebook and Twitter as well."
ACLU says its royal blue-clad legal observers are also on hand, monitoring police activity and recording instances of police misconduct.
Furthermore, ACLU provided the advice, "If you or somebody you know has been the victim of police misconduct associated with the protests, if you've seen the police engaging in intimidating behavior or using video cameras in a way that chills the right to protest, or if you've seen the police doing something right, please tell us about it."
"Send an email to protest@nyclu.org and tell your story. We're collecting your videos and photos, too."
Protesters and Police advised to read rights
Two days ago, ACLU began helping the Occupiers' in the state of Virginia, providing literature on rights that they hope will be read by both protesters and police.
The Virginia state CLU said, "In anticipation of planned demonstrations around the state, the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia has released a protester’s know-your-rights informational brochure. The brochure offers basic information about the rights of protesters, the limitations of those rights, and what to do when rights are violated."
“Peaceful protests are a culturally acceptable and constitutionally protected practice,” said ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis, “but we have noticed a growing tendency by police to overreact to them.”
“While our information is geared toward protesters, we hope law enforcement personnel will read it, too,” added Willis.
“If everyone – protesters and police alike – know the law and their limits, we’ll come through the protests without incident.”
Demonstrations in New York City attracted mainstream media attention when over 700 protesters were arrested and many injured by police while marching on the Brooklyn Bridge after JP Morgan suddenly paid $4.6 million to the NYPD to strenghten it.
