New York police abduct young woman on her skateboard, gang of New York police force her into an unmarked van.
"It was like a kidnapping," reports the Washington Post.
Viral video shows NYPD forcing protester into unmarked van
By Brenda Norrell
Censored News
New York police abducted a skateboarder on Tuesday, throwing her into an unmarked van, as shown in video posted online.
The Washington Post reports, "When an unmarked Kia minivan screeched to a stop near protesters marching in Manhattan on Tuesday evening, the demonstrators’ surprise swiftly gave way to alarm. Several New York Police Department officers wearing T-shirts and shorts spilled out of the van and grabbed one of the protesters, dragging her toward the vehicle, according to videos filmed by bystanders."
"The videos of the chaotic scene, which bore a marked similarity to the controversial tactics used by federal officers to detain demonstrators in Portland, Ore., quickly went viral. Protesters who witnessed the incident described it as a 'kidnapping,' while a number of New York’s elected officials, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), decried the officers’ actions and demanded further explanations from the NYPD, reports Allyson Chiu in the
Washington Post
“Our civil liberties are on the brink. This is not a drill,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “There is no excuse for snatching women off the street and throwing them into unmarked vans.”
Nikki Stone, 18, who has also been referred to online as Nicki, was abducted. Police said Stone is facing charges of criminal mischief related to five incidents.
Clara Kraebber, a 20-year-old Oxford student, told Gothamist, “We literally turned the corner and were met with a line of police who attacked us without warning.”
Kraebber said officers pepper-sprayed the group “seemingly at random” during the arrest, adding, “They were trying to make it painful to be there.”
Another witness told Gothamist that the protesters had been “skateboarding and eating pizza” before the van’s unexpected arrival.
“We didn’t see where they came from,” the witness said. “All of a sudden they grabbed Nicki. It was like a kidnapping.”
Stone’s arrest was captured in multiple videos that circulated widely on social media Tuesday night.
In one clip, a group of protesters, some of whom are riding bikes and skateboards, are making their way down the street before the camera pans to one of the officers roughly grabbing Stone several feet away from the van.
As a handful of protesters approach, an officer repeatedly shouts, “Get back!” and charges on foot at those getting too close.
Within seconds, more police flood the area, using their bicycles to create a barrier between the van, where the officers are still struggling with Stone, and the crowd.
