this is fuct up

[.gene.]

New York - Dozens of cops descended on Rockaway Beach on the Fourth of July and broke up a fund-raiser for memorials to 9/11 victims, angry partygoers charged yesterday.

"When they came [it was] literally a SWAT team," said high school teacher Marie McGoldrick, 31. "You can't imagine how bizarre this was. We're talking about families of people who lost their loved ones on 9/11."

Police said yesterday they were simply trying keep alcohol off the beach. But people in the tight-knit Queens community, filled with cops and firefighters, charged they were harassed on a day that should have been dedicated to the memories of fallen family and friends.

The clash began in the early afternoon when police tried to look in coolers, searching for alcohol.

When some of the 500 revelers objected, officers began confiscating coolers and writing tickets - in some cases without even looking inside, partygoers charged.

Things got worse around 8 p.m. when about 50 cops began sweeping people off the beach, as others in dune buggies drove along the shoreline, shining spotlights on beachgoers, witnesses said.

Families fled, putting an abrupt end to a party that raised $10,000 for a memorial garden at nearby St. Francis de Sales Church and a Beach 116th St. tribute to victims of the terror attack and the Flight 587 crash.

"It was the most disgusting thing you've ever seen in your life," said Richard Knott, 46, who was slapped with a disorderly conduct summons. "They raided the beach for no reason.

"I said, 'What is this, Iraq (news - web sites)? Is this Tiananmen Square?' One [cop] just pointed at me and said, 'You come over here.' ... They threw the handcuffs on me in front of my wife, my mother and my children," he said.

Yesterday, police officials defended the cops' actions.

Uniformed sweep

"There were summonses written and confiscations made up and down the beach. This event was not singled out," said NYPD Capt. James Klein. "The police were there to enforce the law. They wanted to let people have a good time while obeying the law. There's no alcohol consumption allowed on the beach."

Ten summonses were issued for violations ranging from alcohol to noise to disorderly conduct, cops said. Klein said 14 coolers with beer were confiscated.

Klein said representatives of the 100th Precinct met with party organizers before the event and agreed there would be no alcohol or open fires - but both rules were broken.

Emotions were still running high last night in the neighborhood, which lost up to 90 people in the terror attack and five people on the ground in the Nov. 12, 2001, plane crash that also killed 260 passengers and crew.

As they raged about the July 4 debacle, angry locals were planning a rally tomorrow night to protest what they call general police harassment of beachgoers.

Firefighter George Johnson, the man on the left in the famed photo of three firefighters raising the American flag at Ground Zero, said he'll be there.

He said that during the July 4 raid, a woman showed cops a picture of her son, who died at Ground Zero. "She said, 'This is a party in the name of my son. You should be ashamed of yourselves,' and they went right on doing what they were doing."

[MsRay]

Originally posted by gene_2K
"There were summonses written and confiscations made up and down the beach. This event was not singled out," said NYPD Capt. James Klein. "The police were there to enforce the law. They wanted to let people have a good time while obeying the law. There's no alcohol consumption allowed on the beach."

I'd like to see him say this BS while looking straight into the eyes of these people.

[KIP]

Originally posted by gene_2K


"I said, 'What is this, Iraq (news - web sites)? Is this Tiananmen Square?' One [cop] just pointed at me and said, 'You come over here.' ... They threw the handcuffs on me in front of my wife, my mother and my children," he said.

fucking cops should be out fighting crime, not arresting inncent people, morning their loved ones..... I have seen this little snipped occur much to much in my life.

[joeyjoey]

Cops can be such fucking pests. I bet they even sell alcohol at the beach, but you have to buy theirs.

[.gene.]

Here's something else somewhat related to the story


http://www.nydailynews.com/front/sto...4p-89774c.html

[Haluk]

that sucks...just came back from St. Thomas...U.S. property, but it's 18 to drink, you can drink anywhere: street, beach, whatever...and to top it off, you can get a drink in one bar, and walk over to another with it in your hand....