Daniel Rappoport, Princeton
It is my understanding that the police are responsible for protecting the safety of the public.
On April 7, I arrived 45 minutes early for the start of the rally at 7-Eleven in Princeton. Before the start of the rally, a diver heading north on Nassau Street pulls into the parking lot and makes a U-turn. I point to the car and move closer to the police car. The policeman got out of the car and asked what the problem was. I said that the sign says no left turn. He said that we’re not here to handle that. We’re here to handle a protest.
Before the rally starts, a bicyclist parks his bike in the middle of a parking space, 1 to 2 feet away from one of the bike racks. Once again, the police were silent. During the rally, a motorist enters the parking lot using the wrong driveway. There’s a Do Not Enter sign. We were not blocking the proper entrance. Again, the police reacted by pretending they didn’t see the infraction of the law.
They were so concerned about a group of quiet protesters (including a reporter from Reporters Hispanol and Roger Martindell) that they ignored their responsibility to protect the safety of the public. A car could have struck the bicycle and created a pretzel. Both car drivers could have struck motorists driving properly. What would the police have done? Nothing, because that wasn’t what they were asked to do. Someone could have been robbing the liquor store. Someone could have been driving 45 mph what would the police have done? Nothing, because that wasn’t what they were asked to do.
If we expect the police to just listen to the supervisors, then we can expect to observe more people deliberately, knowingly breaking the law. Once again, no rally was occurring when two of the three infractions took place. The policeman should be penalized, fined, or replaced.
Daniel Rappoport
Princeton
