NYPD: Protesters Can't Wear Masks

[TRUEBLUE]

NYPD: Protesters Can't Wear Masks


January 28, 2002, 1:23 PM EST


Bracing for large-scale protests at the World Economic Forum, the NYPD drew a line in the sand today over an obscure law barring demonstrators from wearing masks.

Chief of Patrol Joseph Esposito told a news conference that the department would strictly enforce the code, which prohibits three or more protesters from wearing masks.

Three or more with masks and theyre marching, theyre under arrests, Esposito said.

The warning could heighten tensions between the 40,000 officer force, the nations largest, and the thousands of demonstrators expected to take to the streets starting Thursday, when the worlds political and business elite begin arriving in midtown Manhattan for the four-day event.

Protest organizers say many marchers plan to don costumes and carry giant puppets some worn over their heads to emphasize their anti-globalization message.

Theyre going to have to arrest thousands and thousands of people, said David Graeber of the Anti-Capitalist Convergence, an anarchist group. Its not going to be good.

Nearly 4,000 police officers will be deployed to secure the streets around the Waldorf-Astoria hotel on Park Avenue. Hundreds more will protect foreign dignitaries including Afghanistan leader Hamid Karzai and visiting chief executives like Bill Gates as they move about in the city.

Partly as a show of solidarity with a city stricken by terrorism, the economic talks are being held in New York instead of the quiet Swiss ski resort of Davos, where the forum has been held for 31 years.

[ateamer]

Wonderful. More spoiled little rich kids try to dismantle the world economy so their tortured liberal souls can feel better. Got a news flash - money makes the world go 'round, and it ain't coming from the tin-shack-living, dirt-eating holes you so worship.

If mum-mum and daddy cut off the trust funds to these twits, they'd have to get jobs and then their attitudes would change.

[Gubmentcheez]

Here in Philly the PD drew the same line in the sand during the Republican National Convention. Of course the RNC came on the cusp of the whole Thomas Jones arrest caught on tape debacle. I think it served as a warning for many demonstrators here.

[SGT Dave]

Good idea.

I think NC still has that law on the books also.

Ahhhhhh, the power of the big thick law book.

[Dinosaur]

I think it would have been better to surprise the protesters with the mask law enforcement rather than to announce the intent to do so.

Those guys do love to make plans. It's a given that they're all gonna show up with masks now.

My advice: Overwhelm them with a massive, non-threatening, assertive presence and herd 'em like cattle. Have bike forces on hand to round up strays and a couple ESU units hidden nearby in the event of a stampede.

[Niteshift]

Florida has a similar law too. Originally designed for the Klan, but would apply here.

[LBomb]

Originally posted by Gubmentcheez:
Here in Philly the PD drew the same line in the sand during the Republican National Convention. Of course the RNC came on the cusp of the whole Thomas Jones arrest caught on tape debacle. I think it served as a warning for many demonstrators here.

The catch for the law in Philly gave the liberal cry babies in city Council an out: The law states that a person cannot be wearing a mask during the commission of a crime. Just wearing a mask alone is not probable cause to arrest..whether it is 1 protester or 100. Essentially it boils down to an additional charge. Kinda defeated the idea behind the law if u ask me.

[klar]

I have seen some protesters that do not mind if they are identified via their face. MAny are going to be there to try to make a statement and if it envolves getting arrested then they will more than happily get arrested. While most are there to shoot and be heard you are going to have those few that think since there is a nice sized crowd that they can do what they want to try and cause as much disruption as possible.

Klar

[Malnurtured Snay]

If mum-mum and daddy cut off the trust funds to these twits, they'd have to get jobs and then their attitudes would change.

You know, I hate to rain on your dream-state parade, but many of us liberals AREN'T rich ... I, for one, work 50+ hours a week to pay for school and my apartment and my Jeep. So I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't lump us all in as "spoiled rich kids."

[Dinosaur]

.....and I am equally reluctant to rain on your's, Snay.

We're not all the same, either.

[MPD3P59]

SLC just passed the same law in preparation for the Olympics next week. I think that it's a good idea but .... we'll soon see.

[jpa]

Originally posted by Malnurtured Snay:


You know, I hate to rain on your dream-state parade, but many of us liberals AREN'T rich ... I, for one, work 50+ hours a week to pay for school and my apartment and my Jeep. So I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't lump us all in as "spoiled rich kids."

And just think of how many of those hours are spent contributing your 1/3 of your pay to welfare, BS programs, social security and other liberal socialist programs.

[Joseph]

In New Orleans you can wear a mask on Mardi Gras Day and it's have to have a protest on Mardi Gras. Bunch of *******s.

[jellybean40]

Originally posted by jpa:


And just think of how many of those hours are spent contributing your 1/3 of your pay to welfare, BS programs, social security and other liberal socialist programs.

I, for one, am going to depend on SSI for help when i'm older, so i'm happy to contribute to it. I'm not wealthy, i wont get a large pension, and i dont have a spouse's income.

Oh, and i think the "no-mask" law for protestors is a good one.