The Post is reporting this evening that the NYPD arrested three men who were involved in last night's melee on Astor Place and St. Mark's Place.
The Post, who in the headline refer to the men as "anti-government goons," reported that "a gang of 25 authority-haters, some wearing masks, wielded 8-foot-long metal pipes and smashed the windows of the Starbucks at Astor Place and Lafayette Street, police said."
The NYPD news release notes that Starbucks patrons hid under tables during the incident. However, a store manager told amNewYork "there was no damage done and that the only 'panic' was outside the store."
The Post article says that two police officers were treated for minor injuries; an NYPD news release on the incident cites one injury.
Gothamist points out that one of the men arrested is Alexander Penley, an attorney who has been an Occupy Wall Street organizer. Police took one man in custody at Starbucks. Police arrested Penley and Nicholas Thommen at the Sixth Street Community Center about 90 minutes later. The two were attending a party related to the 2012 NYC Anarchist Book Fair. Among the reported charges: "assaulting a police officer, menacing, criminal possession of a weapon, resisting arrest and inciting a riot."
According to various reports, the group that swept through the neighborhood last night was not associated with #OWS.
Previously.
"anti-government goons"
ReplyDeleteso, they were tea partiers?
No, civil rights attorneys.
ReplyDeletewhy do these people hate coffee so much. If its starbucks only maybe they should fly back to seattle.
ReplyDeletei went to the park in the morning and was disgusted by the corporate sponsor cr@p that had seized and polluted the circle. then i went to queens for the day and came back and heard that anarchists had smashed starbucks and 7-11.
ReplyDeleteeffin rad
Hate the fact that 100 plus 7-11s are going to open in Manhattan in the near term. That said, I wouldn't take a pipe to the window!
ReplyDeletewhat precisely is it about 7-11 that is so reprehensible. is it the stable business model, or just the perception that it's not mom&pop owned (which it is, as afranchise). That, or merely the ubiquitious "evil corporation" moniker that gets ascribed to places like this. Cause every bodega I've ever been in is pretty much the same thing, except dirtier.
ReplyDeleteAnon 2:06 - More corporate restaurants/stores in an area means market demand is higher, causing higher rent across the board. Higher rent means the mom&pop stores, bodegas, and other places we love, can no longer afford their rent and go out of business. That leaves us with Burger King's and 7-11's instead of B&H's and bodegas.
ReplyDeleteThat's just one of many reasons why someone would dislike the 7-11.
Not so fast, Jeremy. Remove the word "corporate" from the first sentence, because it's meaningless in context. How about: "More stores in the area means market demand is higher, causing higher rent".
ReplyDelete(The flipside of more stores is fewer stores, of course-- one wonders why fewer stores be in any way preferable... but never mind.)
Which leaves us with the unanswered question: Why the irrational, burning hatred for 7-11 franchises?
Take a look at how they do business, what "businesses" they support, and what they do to the planet (not to mention local businesses). Most chains operate in the city at a LOSS because they are so rich they can afford to, they are just branding here (and driving out valuable community businesses in the process). Big chains mean big money = big contracts. They buy everything in bulk and get the cheapest cr@ap possible to mark it up as much as possible and pocket the spread. those $1 sausage biscuits - what kind of life do YOU think those pigs had? same for the eggs/chickens, etc etc. The way food is produced these days is absolutely destroying the planet and our personal health while these giant chains laugh all the way to the bank.
ReplyDeleteTake poison, sprinkle it with more chemical poison, and wrap it in cellophane, yum.
Slurp that, you ignorant immoral yuppies.
very informational^^. Patently irrational, but informational nonetheless.
ReplyDelete