Home > BREAKING: Cindy Sheehan arrested in Manhattan

BREAKING: Cindy Sheehan arrested in Manhattan

by Open-Publishing - Tuesday 20 September 2005
20 comments

Movement Wars and conflicts Police - Repression USA

. by Five of Diamonds
Mon Sep 19th, 2005 at 12:42:39 PDT
I witnessed this with my own eyes. Here is my account.

Cindy Sheehan was arrested moments ago in Union Square, Manhattan for allegedly speaking in the square without the proper permit.

A small group of police began to congregate around 2:00 on the south east corner of Union Square. Cindy and her peace entourage were slightly late to the event, contending with public transportation.

Upon her arrival, applause and cheers filled the crowd awaiting her speech. A few other members of the tour movement spoke. Afterward, about 2:50, Cindy began her speech. It was friendly and empowering. She was grateful for the support and urged everyone to go to Washington DC on the 24th of September for a march on Washington.

At the conclusion of her speech, from my perspective, a few loud and impassioned boos erupted, then I saw a hand come from behind Cindy and grab her shoulder-strap on her backpack. The arm jerked her backwards, with such force as to snap her head forward, and she fell from my view.

The crowd erupted in booing and jeering. The crowd rushed the elevated park where she once stood, not to fight but to witness what was happening. People crowded the police, who had formed a semi-circle around what was happening to Cindy (which I could not witness from my vantage point).

"Nazis," "Gestapo," "free speech," "burn the constitution," "traitors," "you can’t have her," could be heard from all sides of the angry crowd. The police stood shoulder-to-shoulder with emotionless looks on their faces. One woman from the tour, I did not see who, urged everyone to that it is a waste of energy to yell at the police, we can’t stop it from happening, but what we can do is trumpet this event to the rest of the United States.

Many media cameras were there. One New York Times reporter was also there (at least), and she was moving around the crowd asking questions. Upon the arrest, she inserted herself into the middle of the screaming, recording it all with her mini-recorder.

I’m not sure the details of the permit situation. The announcer said they sought a permit for weeks with no response from the city government.

Spread the word Kossaks! More as it unfolds.
UPDATE: Details prompted by comments There was no violence, no violent rhetoric, and the spirit of the event was positive and strong. She was only there for about 10 minutes before she spoke, and spoke for about 5 minutes. The crowd was respectful and peaceful. Cindy and the other speakers were using a microphone and speakers, which may have caused the problem with the permits. The announcer told the crowd that they had been officially warned before Cindy got there. I’m trying to find out the permit stuff right now. She was speaking at "Camp Casey NYC" in Union Square. It was a planned event, advertised in the newspaper. And from what I heard (Union Square is a noisy place), they tried to get a permit but did not get a response from city government after many messages were left. My view was not the best, so I did not see if it was a cop behind her that jerked her away. The immediate booing and rushing of the "stage" (a large part of the park raised by about 3 steps) made me believe it was the police. I could not see if she resisted or not. Sorry for the bad view...I wish I had more. Watch the wires, this will be out soon.

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Forum posts

  • It looks like the government is cracking down on "dissidents," i.e., anyone who doesn’t see eye-to-eye with them. Unfortunately for them, this action only makes martyrs. In the long run, it will be Bush and all his cronies who will have to fear for their lives. In the meantime, anyone notice the resemblance to Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia?

    • please give me a break

    • Why? The police didn’t give any to Cindy Sheehan. What have you got against people who state an opinion that differs from yours?

    • For those who DON’T think the behavior of the Bush-tapo regime resembles a more Hitler-esque time, please do your homework. Hitler was amazingly democratically elected before turning into a leader who ivaded countries without provocation, too. Who else in modern history has done that? Hmm, well Iraq did Kuwait, and daddy Bush saved the poor little rich tyrant country. And then....hmm, oh yeah, the Bush-tapo regime and their allies, Halliburton razed Baghdad, et al, for fun and profit. BTW, have you noticed who got the no-bid contract to rebuild New Orleans???? Oh, c’mon, guess.

      Cindy Sheehan gave the greatest sacrifice to this sham-war-over-occupation. Casey. She has a right to be heard anywhere at any time as an American who’s son died supposedly defending her right to free speech. Free speech is what those who tout the 2nd ammendment would love to use their favorite "Smith & Wesson" to stop. What is Mayor-I am a good boy lock-step Republigieme-Bloomberg afraid of? By arressting Cindy, they only shoot their own sinking boat more full of self inflicted holes.

      Interesting that good old fashioned red white and blue republicans aren’t supporting a woman who raised a son to believe it was right to go fight for his country. When you give your child back to the earth, you too will have earned the right to expect this profit-ocracy of shrubs to give you a definitive reason for the lifetime of tears you too would have to look forward too.

      Morgan L’Wood

    • I see one difference between W. and Hitler. W. was NEVER democratically elected!

    • Notice a resemblence to the Nazis? Hells bells, have you been asleep? 9-11 was the Amerikkkan Reichstag fire, and all the McMedia does is play the Horst wessell song. The USA in 2005 smells a lot like Berlin, 1936; and Iraq smells a lot like viet Nam, 1970.

    • You must be over 70 years old and have been alive to be aware of what was happening in 1936 and compare it to what’s happening in the US since 9/11 and realizing it’s the same thing? Frankly, I think the comparison is overblown.

    • Seriously guys, get a life, U don’t have a clue what you’re talking about!! Don’t U dare compare the US President to Hitler/Stalin. U don’t have a clue...

  • This action is clearly a violation of the Constitution. They sought the permit and were ignored.

    Bush and his cabinet are in for a rude awaking. The people are tired of the bullying that is going on and it is time to take a stand. Be there to uphold the people’s cry for impeachment of Bush and his cabinet. We need a government that if for the PEOPLE and by the PEOPLE!

    • Geez, I heard Cindy was railing against Hillary, Maybe it was Clinton who had her arrested. Maybe Clinton will be the one in for a rude wakening.
      Ya Think?

    • so now, after years of pissing on the 2nd ammendment, the liberals are all going to want guns to form a militia to take down the corrupt government.

      At least they might understand the purpose of the 2nd now even if they don’t exercise it. Because after all, the whole point of the the 2nd was for the people to be able to stand up agains the govt if it got out of hand.

    • The second amendment? Expressly written to allow the people to take down the very government that was writing the amendment? I thought it was to protect settlers from bears and to protect their flock from predators. Maybe to rustle up some food...

    • AND WHO IN GUTLESS CONGRESS WILL IMPEACH THEM? BRAVE CYTHNIA MCKINNEY TRIED TO INTRODUCE THE WORD IMPEACHMENT IN HOUSE LAST THURSDAY AND THEY WIPED OUT HER WORDS! WE NEED TO IMPEACH A WHOLE LOT OF CONGRESSPEOPLE TOO, INCLUDING SOME D’S TOO, WHO TRASH OUR CONSTITUTION AND FOR JUSTICE SAKE TOO! WHO WILL IMPEACH THE MURDERING LYING BASTARDS? I AM ALL FOR IT, AND THEN SOME, I THINK IMPEACHMENT TO TOO NICE FOR THEM AND THAT THEY NEED TO BE 1. TAKEN ALL THEIR ILL GOTTEN GAINS AWAY AND PUT IN U.S. TREASURY, 2. SENT TO LOUISANA, AND PUT INTO WATER UP TO THEIR NECKS, WITH NO FOOD, NO WATER AND NO HELP! 3. SENT TO GITMO AND TORTURED, LIKE THEY HAVE DONE TO INNOCENT PEOPLE 4. ONLY THEN HANG THEM FOR TREASON, WAR PROFITEERING AND WAR CRIMES! THIS WOULD BE THE ONLY THINGS THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE TRUE JUSTICE FOR ALL THE CRIMES THEY HAVE COMMITTED AND ALL THE HELL THEY HAVE PUT PEOPLE THROUGH WORLDWIDE! WE MUST STAND BY CINDY AND STOP THESE FASCSICTS MURDERERS AND NOT REST TIL THEY ARE ALL OUT OF GOV’T INCLUDING SOME D’S TOO! WE NEED A REAL REGIME CHANGE, NOT JUST CHANGING PERSON’S BUT REAL REGIME CHANGE AND NOW! AND NOT WITH KERRY EITHER, HE SUCKED TOO, ONLY NOT AS BADLY! AND DOWN WITH THE DLC TOO, WHO ALONG WITH MAJORITY OF R’S ARE LITERALLY DESTROYING AMERICA! I BELIEVE ONLY AN ARMED REVOLUTION WILL SAVE AMERICA!

    • The sad truth is that we live under a facist controled country. The common people have no say on government priorities. The dumbya says to expect cuts in services to pay for Katrina. You can bet your sweet ass cuts will effect the poor and not his corporate cronies!

    • Hey rifleman, did you notice that the minute the federal government called the Gulf area an "emergency zone" they started to arrest anyone who was carrying a weapon, first they took the weapon from them and then they arrested them...so don’t go around kidding yourself that you have a right to bear arms....the ONLY time you have a right to bear arms is when the government gestapo says you do....so go cry your eyes out and stamp your feet and throw a tantrum, because you lost the right to bear arms a long time ago, no matter how many lies they tell you.

  • So you witnessed this with your "own eyes"? Well, either you have poor vision or poor judgement about the things you witness. No other news outlet has reported the arrest of Cindy Sheehan. She was perhaps roughed up during the breaking up of a rally that had no legal permit.

    No matter what your particular political persuasion is, you should at least try to get your facts right.

    • This Administration is hoping you rely only on News Channels for your news!! Wake up....the Media are in bed with Dick and Georgie!

    • You must be The village Idiot, or half retarted, the Media’s Job is to cover up the truth to sell us out, and they are doing a dam good job of it, where have you been the last 3 years?? Its not difficult, all they have to do is suggest that the truth has some doubt and cowards like you will suck it up every time, after all it is very uncomfortable to consider such things, the sad part is the day you guys find out that all your Neo-con friends dont give a dam about you and your family. You will look back and wish you would of done something while you had a chance. On second thought you cant be that stupid it must just be fear that has blinded you. I will never understand people like you, and I wish I could, it might help me to not take it personal. How have we Americans allowed things to get this bad, I know, by being bullied and doing nothing about it, watching the inocent being pulled to the ground and beaten, by being divided by Political parties. Race, and class. If you dont know, its time to ask somebody. How long can you pretend to not see?? Now I know why there are more verses in the Bible where God hates the coward more than any other including murderers, because the coward will get us all killed, they attack us when we try to defend ourselves because of their own fear. May God Bless America Quick..
      Signed: a 5th Generation American Patriot.

  • COULNT HAVE HAPPENED TO A BETTER PERSON MY TWO SONS ARE THERE AND SHE DOESNT SPEAK FOR ME OR THEM.YOU TALK ABOUT FREE SPEACH BUT IF SOMEONE BELIEVES DIFFERENTLY YOU ERASE THE MESSAGE KIND OF HIPOCRITICAL DONT YOU THINK?

    • Your two sons are murdering perverts, I have seen the dead corpses of Iraqi citizens being photographed and ugly comments from the perverts there (your sons) and they photograph themselves with these corpses in ugly Jeffery Dahmer fashion to be traded for other pronography pictures...I wouldn’t be surprised if they have sex with the bloody mutilated bodies and pass the photos around for a good buzz. If anyone tells me to support our troops I will spit on them, they are a disgrace to every American. And by the way bitch, you don’t speak for most of us, we are in the majority in case you didn’t know. What kind of mother would raise her children to murder innocent people then have sex with the corpses???