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Video: Marine Sergeant Tears Cops A New One At Times Square Protest
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 17, 2011
Modified Oct 17, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 17, 2011
Modified Oct 17, 2011
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After the NYPD clashed with demonstrators at the Occupy Wall Street protests in Times Square Saturday night, an Iraq war vet named Sgt. Shamar Thomas gave the cops a piece of his mind. It seems Thomas, who served with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion USMC in Iraq, didn't exactly dig the way the NYPD dealt with the crowd:
On his YouTube channel, Thomas writes, "I took an Oath that I live by. am NOT anti-NYPD. I am anti- Police Brutality. I am no longer under contract with the USMC so I do NOT have to follow military uniform regulations. I DON'T affiliate myself with ANY GROUPS or POLITICAL ORG. I affiliate myself with the AMERICAN PEOPLE that's it. I REFUSE to affiliate with anything that SEPARATES. There is an obvious problem in the country and PEACEFUL PEOPLE should be allowed to PROTEST without Brutality. I was involved in a RIOT in Rutbah, Iraq 2004 and we did NOT treat the Iraqi citizens like they are treating the unarmed civilians in our OWN Country. No one was brutalized because our mission was to 'WIN the hearts and minds.' why should I expect anything less in my OWN Country."
Setting aside the U.S. military's history of brutalizing the natives, some on the left are hailing Sgt. as an instant hero, with at least one observer elevating him to the level of a lefty Joe the Plumber.
For a different perspective, look no further than NYPD Rant, where one commenter asks, "There is no honor in what? Posturing in front of the camera in a self righteous rant specifically to taunt the Police into a confrontation and when the Police kindly ask you to move on, saying to the cameras 'they scared' is honorable? Listen guy, if indeed you were in Iraq serving our country than thank you but shut the fck up and show a little respect to our uniform and stay out of the street, stop blocking the sidewalk and keep moving when we tell you to."
Tagged
marines
occupy wall street
police brutality
Sgt. Shamar Thomas
Times Square
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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