Back to News & Commentary

ACLU Lens: Wall Street Protest Enters Second Week

Jennifer Carnig,
New York Civil Liberties Union
Share This Page
September 27, 2011

For the past 10 days, scores of demonstrators near Wall Street to protest what they believe are entrenched inequities in the nation’s financial system.

In response to the peaceful demonstration, the NYPD has flooded the Financial District with police officers and has erected labyrinths of steel barricades along sidewalks in front of the Stock Exchange and around the famous bull statue on Broadway.

SPECIAL FEATURE
> A Guide to Photographers' Rights

> Article: Law Enforcement Harrassment of Photographers

> Learn More: Filming and Photographing Police

On Saturday, police made at least 80 arrests as the demonstrators attempted to march from the park to Union Square. The crackdown led to violent clashes between officers and protestors. In a particularly disturbing incident, a senior NYPD officer was shooting pepper spray into the faces of four women who were already confined by crowd-control netting.

According to , the NYPD officers have been confronting and even arresting people engaged in photographing and filming police interactions with the demonstrators.

New York Civil Liberties Union staff members are engaging with the demonstrators, learning about their experiences with police and distributing Know Your Rights guides on and on surviving . In addition, the ACLU is offering a Know Your Rights guide for photographing police activity.

In the news:

Learn more about protestors' rights: Sign up for breaking news alerts, , and .

Learn More About the Issues on This Page