NYPD tries, fails to prevent video and photos at Robin Hood March

On the 4th of April, a called for "Wave of Action" began with a Robin Hood march in New York City. Just like the security guards at the State Department, the NYPD attempted and failed to bluff photographers and videographers from shooting video and stills. They issued formal police warnings, and photographers called their bluffs, just like at the State Department here in DC.The first photo here was shot by John Zangas in defiance of the NYPD's unlawful threats.

The threats began with a warning "not to record" anything in front of Congressman Rangel's office, a stopping point of the Robin Hood March. The third photo if of protesters there.

The real question is this: have East Coast police departments adopted a new strategy of using lies and bluffs to deter the public from filming their activities? We've seen this kind of behavior before on the question of carrying ID. Less than half the states in the US even require a person questioned by police to verbally give their name, none of them in this area. Yet, every cop will say you can be arrested for not carrying ID, and the only way to find out that is a lie is to call their bluff, as I have against the US Secret Service, the US Park Police, and MPD.

The related worry is this: the NYPD and MPD are both notorious for making illegal arrests. Perhaps they are trying to sow fear that photographers will be arrested in defiance of the law, after telling the cops to put up or shut up? In that case, videographers can expect enough money for all-new equipment, but to have to wait about ten years to collect the judgement. Sounds like it's time for the Partnership for Civil Justice to start poking around