NYPD is targeting known activists tied to Abolition Park — arrested two yesterday.

They’ve been on the hunt and appear to be ramping up the intimidation.

If you were waiting for the inciting incident to launch the need for a huge and sustained turnout, this is it.

this information comes directly from activists who’ve had cops identify them by name, who watched cops circle and eventually grab people. those being targeted were all active at occupy and easily recognizable.

it’s an obvious effort to eliminate the movement and sow fear.

cops targeting specific activists is likely under the assumption doing so will dissuade others from becoming prominent figures in the scene.

in reality, it appears to be encouraging a growing push for solidarity and opsec at a time when the community is rapidly maturing.

Stickers is the most known example — with tons of press coverage and viral hashtags to boot — but the events yesterday and prior makes clear exactly what the NYPD is trying to do.

NOTE: this is SEPARATE from the Warriors In The Garden being targeted currently (IG live RIGHT NOW) but follows the same exact pattern. https://twitter.com/protest_nyc/status/1291731012364492800?s=21

activist at central booking says “there are grey minivans full of feds taking little breaks here before they go back out to terrorize us.”

working to confirm whether fed or nypd but honestly it doesn’t matter much, the pattern is obvious.

another activist tells me the same van used to snatch Stickers is currently outside the apartment of the WITG activist who is live streaming police outside his door right now: https://instagram.com/warriorsinthegarden?igshid=scd7i2q7r8hq

one of the license plates of the unmarked van outside central booking has a pretty lengthy history of breaking the law: https://twitter.com/howsmydrivingny/status/1291735771393794048?s=21

lawyer has arrived to assist the WITG activist recording on IG live right now. chat is chock full of people screen recording.

chat notes people should NOT show up to his apartment — bystanders will only escalate. legal observers & lawyers ONLY.

“cop” says their warrant is “on the way” and is talking to derrick from his window smh

someone just called him to tell him to stop talking to police officers

someone says there’s 30 cops outside and it’s hard not to recognize the root of his exasperation and frustration. this is a Black man alone in his apartment being accosted by police and his only defense is an instagram account with 30k followers.

want to be clear this is just things being said on the chat — the number of cops outside isn’t confirmed and afaik activists are posted up at central booking waiting on the release of two people (unrelated to everything in this thread/will not disclose that info)

per a DM i just received (unconfirmed) emergency services unit has been called with a warrant for a “perp behind a door.” unclear if this is related to the WITG activist or a separate situation. source says info came from scanner. UNCONFIRMED.

he just stopped going live

heard him say “lawyer’s coming up” before ending the live stream. approx 200 people watched the stream, unclear how many (likely lots!) were screen recording.

he’s back on live, says his devices aren’t working anymore — wifi is out, bluetooth out. could be due to high usage but concern seems to be rooted in cops trying to kill the signal.

he’s playing music and dancing now

“my biggest fear because i live by myself is them planting some shit.” says the supposed warrant is “against an officer.”

“i refuse to be scared” he says as music bumps in the background.

dance party interrupted.

“they’re acting like i’m a fucking terrorist, y’all. they’re blocking off my street?!”

did not anticipate my initial tweet thread to have such an immediate example.

8 hours ago i asked a small group of trusted activists if i could share their observations on police behavior publicly. i said i’d hold it/adjust following correction until today so there’d be “more eyes on it.” i can’t believe this shit is happening right in front of us all.

UPDATE: this situation appears to involve a hostage team, unlikely related to WITG. https://twitter.com/itsa_talia/status/1291744700081283075?s=21

WITG admin took over the live to kick the guy off bc he was on a call with a lawyer. will provide updates as they come.

in the meantime, i’ll be at this action today at 4pm and there’s an expectation it’ll be spicy:

this shit is insane

they don’t have a warrant, they’re trying to tell him his representation is outside if he just opens the door (even though he’s on the phone with them and they’re obviously not there), they’re telling him he’s being “hostile” and “be the warrior you claim you are.”

he says he hears dogs barking. cops posted up in the empty apartment across from him, in his backyard, and at his door. STILL no word on WHY they’re doing this beyond targeting activists to extinguish the protest movements.

he says they’re ALSO on the roof of another building too.

warriors in the garden are nonviolent protestors!!!!

cops are texting him trying to get a response, he says they have hostage team there. insanity.

what the fuck is @NYCMayor doing

UPDATE: he says he’s at 9th & 45th, scanner from earlier WAS for this. https://twitter.com/itsa_talia/status/1291754326088716291?s=21

he says this is “all the result of me filing a CCRB complaint” (civilian complaint review board); more info: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/ccrb/index.page

THEY HAVE A DRONE IN HIS WINDOW

we need media at 45th & 9th ASAP

whole block has been blocked off & scanners are claiming “man barricaded” to justify busting the door down — he’s clearly just chillin in his apartment with the door locked.

ANY ORGANIZERS NEED TO STAY CLEAR. they are targeting activists and that INCLUDES YOU.

live stream on the ground outside: https://instagram.com/osse2021?igshid=1sws82kh8udes

head to @protest_nyc for updates on this situation as it unfolds, i gotta get ready to roll out

on the ground live someone says it seems cops are using stingrays to disrupt derrick’s feed, preventing him from staying live on IG. someone in my dms said they wouldn’t be surprised if they drilled a fiber optic camera through the wall.

seems derrick’s best recourse is capturing video (not live) on a device they can’t access/unlock.

would not be surprised if nypd tried to spin this as case of mistaken identity, but they called him derrick, texted him, and told him “be the warrior you claim you are”

apparently citizen is claiming he’s been arrested. OTG live says “that’s a cop tactic to get us to disperse. who do you think is in charge of Citizen???”

again: this is all because he filed a CCRB which ANYONE CAN DO. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/ccrb/index.page

OTG feed notes cops on the scene now have helmets and riot gear on, presumably to arrest the people filming. which is..... media. and they’re all in a park.

nypd is just running a marathon through a rake factory today, good lord

chi (OTG stream) notes the van pulling away is the same unmarked they threw stickers in, the 18yo trans activist plainclothesed cops grabbed in the middle of the street for the crime of allegedly painting camera covers....

unmarked cars pulling out after cops harassed derrick for SIX HOURS without a warrant. chi notes “because they couldn’t find a fucking warrant.”

he then pans over to a crowd of intense rubberneckers.

derrick still hasn’t gone back on live yet but the street has been cleared out, only cops standing remain. ESU out, unmarkeds (mostly) out. cop asks one person standing on the orange police tape to “step back” but the crowd seems more interested in answers than commands.

cops roll up their orange tape, seem to be clearing out.

the NYPD harassed a Black man alone in his apartment for 6 hours with:
- cops on the roof w/sniper rifles
- cops in the building across from him
- (allegedly) dogs, or audio of dogs to scare him
- ESU
- A DRONE! (??!?!?)
- possible stingray
- fleet of unmarkeds

*WITH NO WARRANT*

huge congrats to @NYCSpeakerCoJo, @NYCMayor, and @NYPDShea for whiffing it so hard you gave the city exactly what it needed to show up in force.

see y’all at 3pm foley square & 4pm bay ridge TODAY.