NY’s “finest” manhandle, humiliate rights activist Heicklen by Gary Reed

This article was emailed to me via Gary, who can be found at the examiner.

“I was cuffed very tightly behind my back and dragged into the courthouse. It was painful, and the capillaries in my wrists were broken.” –Julian Heicklen.

Peaceful activist Julian Heicklen dragged off by federal agents

with the collusion of “New York’s Finest.” (photo courtesy Jim Babb)

The manhandling, humiliation, and verbal abuse of 78-year-old Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) activist Julian Heicklen in the New York jail system is further described in detail in Heicklen’s report to his Tyranny Fighters, posted in its entirety, as always, at “Blog of Bile.”

His arrest was tweeted almost minute by minute by individualist writer Darian Worden and photographed by fellow libertarian and supporter Jim Babb.

“I believe that he was arrested for unpaid fines related to previous demonstrations,” Jim Babb speculated. “They were fully prepared for his abduction. They had a warrant for his arrest.”

“My property in the tote bag and in my pockets, as well as my glasses, sweater, cap, belt, and shoelaces, were taken away.” – Julian Heicklen

Babb, who has been on many FIJA outreach excursions with Heicklen in the past, made his first trip into Manhattan with five other supporters, including young AJ Allen, the son of Dr James Allen who, Babb noted, “received an interesting lesson in federal thuggery.”

“My pants kept falling down, since I had no belt. Finally, I was put into a wheelchair and taken to a paddy wagon to be delivered to Bellevue Hospital.” – Julian Heicklen

Babb described the Manhattan federal courthouse with its “massive number of government agents, vehicles and barricades, surrounded by massive gothic structures” as dramatically different from others where he has helped distribute FIJA materials.

As they approached, Babb overheard one officer say, “This should be interesting.”

“I was returned to the federal courthouse and put into a small cell facing the wall. By then I had to urinate badly, so I urinated on the floor. The guard came rushing in, said that if I did that again he would beat me into sh*t and break my bones.” – Julian Heicklen

The six supporters remained outside of the immediate courthouse area to act as observers while Heicklen entered the courtyard.

At 12:20 pm Worden tweeted, “Suit said, ‘Mr. Heicklen, we’re US marshals and we have a warrant for your arrest.'”

“Julian’s courage to keep coming back here is truly impressive,” Babb said of Heicklen’s continued returns to the Manhattan courthouse. “There is a black void here that can suck the love out of anyone.”