Gowanus Lounge: Serving Brooklyn

More Fun with Potential Police Brutality on Bedford Avenue

November 6th, 2008 · 9 Comments

Yet another video of the NYPD getting ready to hurt and intimidate people at the Barack Obama celebration on Bedford Avenue on Tuesday night. It, uh, does not make us happy. The person who made the video writes: “This video was taken right before NYPD started breaking up the Obama Celebration going on in Bedford avenue in Williamsburg Brooklyn. For the most part the celebration was quite peaceful until NYPD started breaking it up due to the blocking of the streets.

GL Analysis
We’ve watched cops beat and brutalize people and turn controlled situations into dangerous and threatening messes by their arrogant abuse of power. We’ve watched them deliberately hurt totally innocent people. We’ve taken some hits ourselves while trying to report and take photos. It pisses us off. One wonders were we better off under Il Duce Mayor Giuliani or Mayor Putin Mayor Bloomberg. Screw you, NYPD for trying to hurt people on Bedford Avenue on Tuesday night. You shame us all.

Tags: Williamsburg

9 responses so far ↓

  • 1 tony l. // Nov 6, 2008 at 9:59 am

    The behavior of the NYPD continues to be rash and unapologetic for its abuse. Our police commissioner and our mayor have no comment about it. The reality is that there is nothing anyone can do other than take action upon themselves. I fantasize throwing a fucking brick at any one of those fucking fascist pigs standing around in Williamsburg getting psyched up to beat the shit out of a 20 year old girl.

  • 2 jf22561 // Nov 6, 2008 at 11:30 am

    Whoa – get a grip on this anti-cop sentiment!! If you read Curbed, the people in the neighborhood said that this crowd was very loud and disruptive for hours and had ignored earlier requests from the police to quiet down. The police were then forced to do what they have to do. When will some of you people learn? How were you raised?????? If an officer of the law says to calm down – you calm down!!

  • 3 KyleH // Nov 6, 2008 at 11:43 am

    “started breaking it up due to blocking of the streets” = getting ready to hurt and intimidate? Really? Please.

  • 4 jf22561 // Nov 6, 2008 at 12:14 pm

    Many requests being IGNORED = police being forced to do something else – unfortunately, it seems to be the only thing that some people understand. This isn’t kindergarten – if an officer of the law tells you to calm down – you calm down! If an officer of the law tells you to stop – you stop! Which, btw, is upheld by the Supreme Court! The police shouldn’t be blamed for being forced to take things to another level by a public who refuses to cooperate and gives nothing but ATTITUDE (and sometimes violence) when initially being approached.

  • 5 Marie // Nov 6, 2008 at 4:04 pm

    While I agree that brutality exists and I hate it for what it is, I am repelled by cop bashing as a knee jerk reaction.

    There are a lot of spoiled people in this town who don’t know what it is like to live in a real police state, utterly corrupt and utterly un-policed (in the best sense of the word). Some cops are bad cops. Some cops, most, I would argue, do their job well.

    Next time the people who view the police as “fascist pigs” (bo-ring) actually need them in a hurry, I hope they remember their views and refrain from dialling 911.

  • 6 Gotham Gazette - The Wonkster » Blog Archive » Obamania // Nov 6, 2008 at 5:00 pm

    […] Gowanus Lounge was not happy with the treatment of revelers by the police. “Screw you, NYPD for trying to hurt people on Bedford Avenue on Tuesday night. You shame us all,” he wrote. […]

  • 7 dave // Nov 6, 2008 at 7:57 pm

    The function of police seems to be protection of private property (for the rich and super rich mostly) and social control.

    I’m looking for a little protect & serve, or CPR, like it says on their cars.

    NYPD should make a better effort to communicate with the neighborhoods it serves. Or else this kinda stuff is gonna keep happening.

  • 8 b // Nov 6, 2008 at 9:09 pm

    are you fucking kidding me? this is police brutality? cops standing there, patiently waiting for the drunk hipsters to stop taunting them? there seems to be literally nothing to complain about in this video.

  • 9 Ty // Nov 7, 2008 at 1:06 am

    Whoever is sticking up for the police are the ones who have never been confronted by one. Most aren’t around to uphold the law, they just like to abuse their power.