[ tried posting this at indymedia, but kept getting server errors. ]
Despite the large turnout, this was a very restricted protest. The courts did not permit a march pass the UN--the police citing lack of manpower--so people settled for a permitted rally at 48th-49th St/First ave in front of the German Embassy, and at Dag hammarskjold Plaza. The crowds on 1st ave stretched from 49th - 59th st, beyond that, people were confined to the sidewalks and not allowed onto the street.
Walking north from downtown, my observations of the day's events:
As expected, the first security barricades were met at 40th st/First ave. Those who wanted to go north were diverted onto Second Avenue. Along 2nd Avenue from 40th-48 st, you were not allowed to walk east toward the UN. Additionally, you were only allowed to walk along on the west side of Second Avenue.
As I walked north, more and more people started crowding the sidewalk until it reached critical mass at 53rd St/2nd Ave and nobody was able to more.
It seemed a large crowd had gathered there because they weren't allowed to move east toward First avenue where the rally was being held. The police said to go north to at least 60th St if you wanted to go to 1st Avenue; Nobody did. At around 2:30pm, the crowd grew restless, and began surging into the street to block traffic; some also started to charge the barricades. The traffic blockade succeeded blocking traffic for about 15-20 minutes. I'm not so sure about the barricade charge; it may have worked, or the police let some pass in order to diffuse the situation.
After 10 minutes of festive celebrating in the street, a contingent of mounted police arrived to open up the avenue starting from the north. Initially they walked, and trotted the horses through the crowd gathered in the street, but stopped when that tactic didn't work too well (They did manage to free a few cars before the crowds closed in again.) The horses jostled and pushed the crowds, and people chanted "Shame!" and the "Whole world is watching", but the police simply scowled and curtly ordered the crowds onto the sidewalk.
When somebody tossed a small crumbled piece of paper at one of the horses, that seemed to set off the police, and using their horses, they charged into the crowd then wheeled around to charge those watching on the sidewalk. At one point, six of the mounted police including a sergeant galloped through the crowd at full-speed on the sidewalk for one block to 54th st where they veered off west never to be seen again. Many people were pushed aside by the horses, and at least one was caught unaware--trampled by this reckless and dangerous show of force. Meanwhile, dozens of reinforcements had arrived including more mounted police, and cops with camcorders slowly filming the faces of those standing on the street and sidewalk. Since the Hanshu agreement had elapsed, who knows what the police will do with these videotapes.
During the melee, about a dozen people were arrested, and everybody was eventually dispersed from the corner. Empty city buses were lined up along the sidewalk to create a large wall to keep everybody away. A large contingent of national legal observers were on hand watching.
Although you could freely walk up and down Second Avenue, the same could not be said about walking east and west along the numbered streets. No movement east toward First Avenue was allowed from Second Avenue, from Third Avenue, and from Lexington Avenue; you were only allowed to move west away from the rally, but once you leave the area, you could not return. At a minimum, the restricted area stretched as far north as 74th st.
On 59th st/3rd ave, at 58th st/3rd ave, and as far down third avenue you can see, large groups of protesters were being detained on the street corners and denied movement. Reports indicate that the police cracked down hard on those protesters caught on Third Avenue. I went into Bloomingdales to check things out, and it seemed that some people were taking time off from the protest to do a little shopping.
As for the rally on First Avenue, it seemed like a farce on the part of the police at allowing protesters the "free speech" they so desired, as long as they did not do it en masse. The major culprit was not enough cattle pens setup to separate and control the protesters on First avenue. when the pens filled up to capacity, the police simply closed the gates leaving many protesters (up to half the total number protesting in the city) behind barricades on second and third avenue. The police would later claim a lower turnout than report as a result.
At Columbus Circle at 57th/Broadway, there was a small march up Central Park West around 4:00. At Times Square--where the Mayor was today--the area was sealed off entirely, only hotel guests may enter. No movement was allowed south from 47th st/Bway/6th ave. this was possibly based on info posted over the Internet regarding a mass gathering in Times Square after the rally.
At 5:00pm, protesters were also in front of Mid Manhattan Library, on 40th/5th Avenue and were met with a very heavy police response including two dozen mounted police, and dozens of police in riot gear. Scores of arrests were made; puppets and signs were thrown to the ground, dragged away and confiscated. Some police were dispatched to survey from the rooftops after some ice fell from one of the buildings.
Observing from one of the windows in the library, the police formation seemed like an exercise from one of their textbooks. Police in riot gear lined up along the street facing the protesters with batons drawn. Extra police on the corners blocking access into the rally area; reserve police on another corner ready to be called in; and about 18 mounted police lined up in one neat little row ready to charge down the street in case of problems. Even the protesters were arrested textbook style, face down on the ground, and carried away by four cops into a wagon waiting one block away. most likely everyone involved were inexperience rookie cops learning how to arrest people for real--This isn't a classroom!
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