#m24 Part 2 – The Precinct

Part two in a three-part installment detailing the events of #m24 which carried over through the morning of #m26. Read part 1 here.

When we got to the 7^th Precinct we immediately noticed the blue NYPD barriers erected in front of the building. They blocked the stairs and most of the sidewalk, restricting access only via the handicap ramp. Our comrade Jamie, of the People’s Library, was already on location, having rushed to the station after word of the first arrest.

We were told that 12 people were being held inside the precinct—Amelia, Negesti, Mesiah, and 9 more Occupiers.

Jamie beat the first police van to the precinct and saw all of our comrades enter the station. She reported that Mesiah looked shaken and sad. Amelia and Negesti were upset but not hurt. The van had been hot, their handcuffs too tight, the cops less than cordial.

Shortly after we got there we saw Mesiah escorted out of the precinct, her arm wrapped up in a makeshift sling, and into an ambulance. Presumably, she was headed to Bellevue Hospital on 1^st Avenue at 27^h Street, where people who are injured and in custody go, including those injured by the police during their arrests.

We showed our support from across the street. We jumped up and down, yelled out her name, and fashioned our hands into a heart shape—a “point of affection” in OWS sign language. Mesiah was all smiles, which was surprising considering her afternoon ordeal. I was overwhelmed with joy when she smiled back at us.

Over the next hour several more friends and comrades, including Eli, a medic, and Oscar, one of the Occu-puppies, joined us. Eli was on hand to do support for her partner, Daniel, who had been arrested for the third time in about a week. According to Eli, Daniel had been in the march for about 15 minutes before he was harassed and targeted by the police for arrest.

Our emotions were high and intensifying—the police were offering us very limited information on the status of our comrades. It was reassuring to have Oscar on hand. Sitting with him in my lap helped to settle some of my anger.

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