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Twitter User Who Suggested Killing Cops Over OWS Says He Was Just Joking
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 19, 2012
Modified Mar 19, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 19, 2012
Modified Mar 19, 2012
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With the six-month anniversary of the start of the Occupy Wall Street movement, OWS had their busiest weekend in quite awhile when they attempted to retake Zuccotti Park late Saturday night. Although they didn't succeed, 73 protesters were arrested or detained, and demonstrators felt reinvigorated. Police were more concerned with tracking down “smackema1,” who tweeted after the protest: “we wont make a difference if we dont kill a cop or 2.” The man who made that tweet told the Daily News it was just a joke: “It’s not like I meant anything of it. Who takes anything like that seriously? I’m in Florida, what am I going to do?” Obviously he doesn't know just how seriously the NYPD takes internet commenters.
Police are seeking a subpoena to find out the identity behind "smackema1," whose tweet was directed to a page on Ustream showing live footage of the protests. The user told the News that he lives in Florida, he only follows OWS protests online, and he's an armchair quarterback—he claims he has never attended any rallies or protests. In addition to "smackema1," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said police are separately checking telephone threats made to two cops and their families on Saturday. And the NYPD has already subpoenaed the Twitter accounts of two other Occupy Wall Street posters.
Protesters plan to march on Wall Street every Friday and meet on Saturdays every week until the massive "General Strike" planned for May 1st. Below, check out one more video from Saturday's night, taken from the livestream:
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internet commenters
nypd
occupy wall street
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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