Hundreds of #OccupyWallStreet protesters were corralled by NYPD officers on the Brooklyn Bridge yesterday. Some reports indicate that protesters were funneled into areas that would trigger arrests.
Via @DarylLang on TwitPic
The New York Times reported on this shameful police action then quickly re-edited its article:
New York Time’s initial story at 6:59pm EST:
“After allowing them onto the bridge, the police cut off and arrested dozens of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators.”
After 20 minutes, 7:19pm EST:
“In a tense showdown over the East River, police arrested hundreds of Occupy Wall Street demonstrators after they marched onto the bridge’s Brooklyn-bound roadway.”
This is the link to the NY Times article which is still being updated.
JPMorgan Chase $4.6 Million contribution
Shortly after the arrests the #OccupyWallSteet Twitter stream started linking to and blogging about this announcement that JPMorgan Chase recently donated 4.6 Million to the NYPD’s New York City Police Foundation. Unfortunately for JPMorgan Chase, this news item didn’t have a date on it so many assumed the words “JPMorgan Chase recently donated” meant that it happened within the last day.
After a bit of digging, I found the earliest mention of this massive JPMorgan Chase donation in a Bloomberg article dated June 3, 2011. This is the largest contribution the New York City Police Foundation has ever received. Even if the $4.6 Million dollar contribution came way before the growth of the Occupy Wall Street movement, there is still a large question as to whether police officials were pressured by JPMorgan Chase to crack down on protesters to protect their investments.