Pro-Gaza protesters arrested for closing Manhattan Bridge - UPI.com

Congratulations to the NYPD.

No one should be able to block traffic because they want to "protest".

Now we wait and see how many arrested actually are charged with anything.

Don't put them in jail, send them to Gaza where they can support their heroes effectively.  

YES!!! Send the protesters to Gaza where they can be of service to their heroes - the girls can take the place of the female Israeli hostages who were released to trade for 10 times each the number of Palestinian prisoners who had blood on their hands and the male protesters can use their mouths to replace their shouts of From The River To The Sea with, at the point of a Hamas gun which would be fired if they bite what they're forced to suck (actually, maybe NOT forced since it's fitting considering their obvious feelings). 

And as far as I'm concerned, those on NT who are supporting Hamas and disparaging Israel what Israel has been forced to do to end the attacks on its nation, can join the protesters.  They have made me change the word on my avatar, which I guess should have always been the word that was always historically correct since ancient times to accompany it - HARMONY,  not "balance".  There is just too much imbalance in the world to try to correct it, and at this point I would rather there was more harmony than balance anyway. 

Changes happen, and Biden is a good example, he can change from supporting Israel to sabotaging it because after all the Muslim votes and the infantile ignorant children protesting for their Hamas terrorist heroes might vote for him.  I sure as hell hope that every Jew in America will NOT vote for him now, and that every Jewish donor to the Democrat Party and Biden's campaign cease and desist their giving.  They don't have to vote for anyone else, they don't have to donate to anyone, just don't vote or donate.  Biden has stabbed Israel in back like Obama did before him.  Standing with Israel, defending Israel, are EMPTY words coming from him. 

I changed my avatar to say "Harmony" instead of "Balance".  I'm no longer so enamoured with "balance", and anyway "Harmony" is actually the word that has been attached to the yin-yang symbol since ancient times, and is more correctly connected to it.  Balance sure as hell isn't happening, and I see imbalance all over the place, and especially about people and politics, so I believe Harmony is probably better to hope for. 

No argument from me.    Sounds like the perfect solution.

Israeli hostages who were released to trade for 10 times each the number of Palestinian prisoners who had blood on their hands and the male protesters can use their mouths to replace their shouts of From The River To The Sea with, at the point of a Hamas gun which would be fired if they bite what they're forced to suck (actually, maybe NOT forced since it's fitting considering their obvious feelings). 

Maybe you should do some more research into those Israel arrests- not all of them have "blood on their hands".

amnesty

Israeli police have committed a catalogue of violations against Palestinians in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem, carrying out a discriminatory repressive campaign including sweeping mass arrests, using unlawful force against peaceful protesters, and subjecting detainees to torture and other ill-treatment, during and after the armed hostilities in Israel and Gaza, Amnesty International said today.

Israeli police have also failed to protect Palestinian citizens of Israel from premeditated attacks by groups of armed Jewish supremacists, even when plans were publicized in advance and police knew or should have known of them. 

“The evidence gathered by Amnesty International paints a damning picture of discrimination and ruthless excessive force by Israeli police against Palestinians in Israel and in occupied East Jerusalem,” said Saleh Higazi, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. 

“Police have an obligation to protect all people under Israel’s control, whether they are Jewish or Palestinian. Instead, the vast majority arrested in the police crackdown following the outbreak of intercommunal violence were Palestinian. The few Jewish citizens of Israel arrested were dealt with more leniently. Jewish supremacists also continue to organize demonstrations while Palestinians face repression.”

Amnesty International researchers spoke to 11 witnesses and its Crisis Evidence Lab verified 45 videos and other forms of digital media to document more than 20 cases of Israeli police violations between 9 May and 12 June 2021. Hundreds of Palestinians have been injured in the crackdown and a 17-year-old boy was shot dead.

hrw

Under  military law,  Palestinians can be held for up to eight days before they must see a judge — and then, only a military judge. Yet, under Israeli law, a person has to be brought before a judge within 24 hours of being arrested, which can be extended to 96 hours when authorized in extraordinary cases.

Palestinians can be jailed for  participating  in a gathering of merely 10 people without a permit on any issue “that could be construed as political,” while settlers  can demonstrate  without a permit unless the gathering exceeds 50 people, takes place outdoors and involves “political speeches and statements.”

In short, Israeli settlers and Palestinians live in the same territory, but are tried in different courts under different laws with different due process rights and face different sentences for the same offense. The result is a large and growing number of Palestinians imprisoned without basic due process.

Discrimination also pervades the treatment of children. Israeli civil law  protects children  against nighttime arrests, provides the right to have a parent present during interrogations and limits the amount of time children may be detained before being able to consult a lawyer and to be presented before a justice.

Israeli authorities, however, regularly arrest Palestinian children during nighttime raids, interrogate them without a guardian present, hold them for longer periods before bringing them before a judge and hold those as young as 12 in lengthy pretrial detention. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel  found  in 2017 that authorities kept 72 percent of Palestinian children from the West Bank in custody until the end of proceedings, but only 17.9 percent  of children in Israel.

While the law of occupation permits administrative detention as a temporary and exceptional measure, Israel’s sweeping use of administrative detention on the Palestinian population, more than a half-century into an occupation with no end in sight, far exceeds what the law authorizes.

Even those charged with a crime are routinely deprived of due process rights in military courts. Many of those convicted and serving time for “security offenses” (2,331 people as of November 1) accepted plea bargains to avoid prolonged pretrial detention and sham military trials, which have a  nearly 100 percent  conviction rate  against Palestinians.

Beyond the lack of due process, Israeli authorities have for decades mistreated and tortured Palestinian detainees.  More than 1,400 complaints  of torture, including painful shackling, sleep deprivation and exposure to extreme temperatures, by Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, have been filed with Israel’s Justice Ministry since 2001.

These complaints have resulted in a total of three criminal investigations and no indictments, according to the Public Committee Against Torture, an Israeli rights group. The group Military Court Watch  reported that , in 22 cases of detention of Palestinian children they documented in 2023, 64 percent  said they were physically abused and 73 percent  were strip searched by Israeli forces while in detention.

Palestinian rights groups have reported a spike in arrests and deterioration in the conditions of Palestinian prisoners prior to October 7, including  violent raids ,  retaliatory prison transfers and isolation of prisoners ,  less access to running water and bread  and  fewer   family visits . The trends  have worsened  since.

Discrimination in detention and imprisonment is just one aspect of systematic oppression, which underlies Israeli authorities’   crimes against humanity   of  apartheid and persecution against Palestinians , as  Human Rights Watch  and other  Israeli ,  Palestinian , and  international  human rights organizations have found.

Acting like Israel is completely innocent is an absolute lie. They care as little about Palestinians as Hamas, Hezbollah, PA, Iran, and the US.

If the rate is 1 for 10 we should not have to hear about Palestinians getting killed yet. 

I just decided I was too harsh with this comment, it wasn't deserved.  I just happen to be in a horrible mood today and maybe I should keep off the site for a while. 

Anyone with a brain in their head would not believe what the Hamas organization announces as their numbers.  They already proved they are just liars when they accused Israel of bombing the Gaza hospital and killing 500 civilians there, when it was proven that it was an Islamic Jihad missile that misfired.  Their massive fake numbers have had the effect that was planned by them - look at the world wide university protests and anti-Semitic anti-Israel bias it has produced around the world.   Hamas has already won the war by earning the derisive criticism of Israel by the bleeding hearts not only around the world but right here on NT as well.

Hundreds of protesters shut down the Manhattan Bridge in New York City on Saturday to support Gaza as the NYPD struggles to accommodate demonstrations protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Yes, freedom of speech is protected. Even political demonstrations.

But the way this is worded (:"demonstrations protected by the First Amendment") seems to imply that the right to block traffic is protected by the First Amendment. I'm not a lawyer but-- I don't think it is consistent with the rights mentioned in the First Amendment.

I believe it was Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. who said:

My right to swing my fist ends where your nose begins

Hundreds of protesters shut down the Manhattan Bridge in New York City on Saturday to support Gaza as the NYPD struggles to accommodate demonstrations protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Not clear is why the NYPD would have to "accommodate" protestors.

Not clear is why the NYPD would have to "accommodate" protestors.

They have the right to protest. So, for example, if they were walking back and forth with signs and giving out literature in a location where they were not  blocking traffic that should be OK. 

I have actually watched protestors in NYC on a public sidewalk not bocking traffic. . The police just stood there watching everybody.

At one point a protestor moved to a position where they were blocking the sidewalk -- one cop went over to them and told them that they weren't allowed to block the sidewalk-- so without any argument this protestor moved back to where they weren't blocking people who were walking by.

But the way this is worded (:"demonstrations protected by the First Amendment") seems to imply that the right to block traffic is protected by the First Amendment. I'm not a lawyer but-- I don't think it is consistent with the rights mentioned in the First Amendment.

And even if blocking traffic is legal, there's another issue here: are these protestors helping their cause? By now almost everyone has heard about the situation in Gaza. So IMO the only thing these protestors are accomplishing is really pissing off people who are trying to go somewhere without being blocked!

Yes, the "IDEOLOGY" argument fits here.  The people who are blocked by the protesters are going to learn to hate the protesters and what they are supporting, so the intent of the protesters just causes a backlash.

No one ever said these protestors were smart. 

No one ever said they understood what they are even protesting. Backing Hamas, Hezbollah, or even the PA, is as dumb as backing Israel. Which they are doing by pissing off those whose opinions they want to sway.

They are looking for their 15 minutes of fame. To prove how damn much they care!

Doing something real liking starting petitions to their Congress critters, the White House, and state department are just too damn tough for them. Starting food, medicine, and aid drives to actually help the Palestinians is too much damn work; and they might actually learn something in the process of just how hard it is to get anything into Gaza or the West Bank with Israel's ever changing rules, regulations, and what goods are banned. Do that for 2 or 3 years and it will give them a valid reason to hate the Israeli government on a very personal level. Actually do some damn research into the history of Israel/Palestine all the way to the present- and hold seminars and lectures with experts in the field. Educate those that are willing to learn. Forcing Democrat and Republican candidates to state their positions clearly on the Israeli/Palestinian position; and what they plan on doing to correct it? Then holding them accountable if they fail to do so once elected.

These dumbasses think Hamas gives a shit about them? Hamas would kill them w/o a second thought. Especially any woman or girl that had the temerity to voice their opinion to a man- much the less defy Muslim laws would be stoned to death. The alphabet soup of the LGBTQ++ (or how many ever pluses they have now) would be thrown off the roofs of the tallest buildings still left standing in Gaza. Any non Muslim would simply be shot. Hamas and Iran are laughing at just how stupid these people are- and enjoying the show being fed to live by the media every day.

Many of these so called "protestors" are the same ones that took part in the BLM/Antifa riots. 

They know that in Democrat controlled bastions of stupidity even if they are arrested, the vast majority will never charged by DA's. Just cut loose so they can continue their stupidity.

I do agree with some of what you had to say here, but not all.  However today I'm having a "I'm mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore" day so I'll leave it at that for now. 

the right to block traffic is protected by the First Amendment.

I think it is the exact opposite. Blocking traffic is blocking commerce and not allowing emergency vehicles to get by. I would suppose if they delay an ambulance or fire  truck, and someone dies, then that/those persons could be charged with manslaughter.

I wonder if these pro-Gaza folks have ever once protested against Hamas and the plight of the Palestinian people they are responsible for?

Those that block roads for protests should not be treated as pedestrians 

Speed bumps?