A forwarded note from the parent of a protestor:
J. was released after 49 hours in custody – charged with disorderly conduct. She had been walking down the sidewalk when the police closed in on everyone in that general vicinity, pressing them against walls and parking meters and screaming at them. Some of the others standing around ran away as the police approached, but because J. and S. weren’t doing anything wrong, they didn’t think running was necessary. The only time she even raised her voice was in the pressing when she yelled out “just tell us what you want, just tell us what you want.” There was a group of musicians (this was right next to a small park where musicians frequently gather) that had begun to play together, and their instruments were ruined – Jaie said the musicians were treated the worst in the scuffle.
The reports I have read said that there were no injuries. J. knew of several people who were hospitalized from bruises, cuts and handcuffs that were so tight that the wrists were cut, swollen and the concern of nerve damage. With a phone within sight, they were denied access to it for over thirty hours. Open toilet only, with no paper products, a sizeable percentage of the women in their periods. Moved over and over again from cell to cell, mixing them up to keep them from any comfort in a familiar face. 27 in one cell and told to stand up every two hours for floor sweeping. J. estimates approximately 1 hour of sleep during this time, constantly being yelled at by the police. S. missed four dosages of anti-convulsion medication that she constantly was denied.
They still have her digital camera, with photos documenting much of this. They kept all the cameras from these people who traveled great distances and were told that to get them back they have to return to NYC at some future date and go to the DA. What chance is there that it still contains the images she caught? The plan was to sleep all day today and then write. Knowing that she could write all this down helped J. get through the abuse, constantly taking mental note of exactly what was happening and how long things were taking.