Approximately 50 people from around the state of New Mexico, including Santa Fe, Farmington, Los Lunas, and Albuquerque, joined together in a statewide General Assembly to share reports of their work and strategize around coordinating actions in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Unfortunately more than 25 UNM police officers barred the group from meeting on campus in Yale Park, despite the participation of UNM faculty, students, employees and alumni. The statewide GA was forced onto the city sidewalk along Central Avenue.
Four people were arrested when they moved from the statewide GA onto campus. Two are currently enrolled, tuition paying UNM students. One of the students was shoved by two police officers and thrown to the ground.
Participants in the statewide General Assembly marched to the UNM police station to demand to know why the chief of the UNM police had barred the use of campus. They could not get an answer. Participants of the statewide General Assembly then held a solidarity rally outside the booking center where those arrested were detained.
UNM faculty have written letters to the UNM newspaper, the Daily Lobo, condemning the actions of the unversity and police against the General Assembly.
Local media covered the day’s events, including:
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S2513234.shtml?cat=500
http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/unoccupy-protesters-arrested-at-unm
Video footage of the arrests:
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/20724988
As a new member and supporter of the Un Occupy Albuquerque movement, I just viewed the video of the police actions last Sunday. As a retired police officer and a liberal democrat who has lived through the worst that one can in law enforcement, having a close friend and fellow police officer murdered execution style in front of an angry mob, I understand how hard police work is. How the strain of loosing control can lead to ones own death, not coming home to see their spouses, partners or children. But fear is no justification for police brutality or violence.
Since moving to New Mexico in 1997 I have seen too many accounts how police in Albuquerque obviously don’t know how to restrain their fear and anger and lash out with violence towards our citizens in our city.
I am sure many of us remember the officer that attacked the reporter two years ago, and that level of violence towards a member of the media is an example of how poorly trained our police department is in responding to complex situations. I am afraid it is also another example of how poor the vetting process for being a police officer is here too.
The officer that knocked the demonstrator to the street in this video is an example of unrestrained anger and violence. If in a larger city where citizen review boards and police officials take a more stringent position on not allowing this type of action and quickly disciplining the officer(s) involved, this behavior starts to abate. There is even probably cause for the officer to be sued in federal court for “excessive force”. What was done in this video is clearly abuse of power and force.
What is wrong is just wrong. Whether one agrees with the tactics used in the occupy movement or not, being assaulted by law enforcement is unacceptable. I am ashamed by police officers that cannot seem to learn that they are there to protect us, not harm us……