Monday, September 25, 2017

Please Don’t Arrest Me—Until the Cameras Are Here



Arrests of politicians at protest are often choreographed with police

By Mara Gay, Mike Vilensky and Zolan Kanno-Youngs

When Councilman Brad Lander was arrested during a 2015 rally to support workers at a Brooklyn carwash, he ran into an acquaintance at the police station: the local precinct commander, who stopped by to exchange pleasantries as he was being booked.

“It was a friendly arrest,” Mr. Lander said. “It was easy for them, it was easy for us.”

Getting arrested for civil disobedience has long been a way for New York’s Democratic officials to show solidarity with activists and bring attention to their causes. But these run-ins with the law are often orchestrated affairs that can be different from conventional arrests, according to interviews with lawmakers, organizers and police officials.

Police are often notified ahead of time to expect arrests. Elected officials may have personal relationships with the department taking them into custody. And then, of course, there are the news cameras.

“Getting arrested for a cause is a rite of passage,” said state Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Manhattan Democrat who has twice been arrested while protesting.

“That has to be part of their resume,” a police official said. 

Click here for the full article. 

Source: The Wall Street Journal (via The Empire Report)

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