OccupyNH Arrests

“I don’t like the fact that I have to give anyone a citation but we have responsibilities, we have people to answer to . . .” So said Manchester police department employee Bob Cuhna to those at Veteran’s Park for OccupyNH on October 19th.

Despite Cunha’s admittedly civil tone, he and his colleagues aggressed upon dozens of people that night – despite harming no one 14 were given ransom tickets, five were kidnapped and caged, and many others were threatened if they did not comply with the arbitrary dictates levied.

Individuals are responsible for their actions – to parrot that those wearing badges are “just doing their job” is to exonerate the rights-violations they commit. As Kevin Freeheart noted, “It’s not the law putting handcuffs on people, it’s people putting handcuffs on people.”

If an action is wrong for you or I it doesn’t suddenly become legitimate if done by someone wearing a piece of metal on their chest. Failure to see this and act accordingly only facilitates the institutionalized violence committed daily by those wearing badges.

For background about OccupyNH, check “OccupyNH Update” below. At that time we noted, “one of the biggest questions – the use of force from those wearing “Manchester Police Department” badges – has yet to materialize.”

For more coverage on the Occupy events check out this post detailing CopBlock’s visit to NYC in late September.