This NYPD Supervisor maced a crowd of female protesters at #OccupyWallStreet yesterday. As seen in the video posted earlier many of the beat cops were caught off guard as well. One actually got a face full as well. The video clearly shows him casually walking up to the orange mesh as another supervisor approaches yelling. He was unprovoked, gave no warning, not even to the officers holding the mesh. The actions of the officers (the shocked look on many of there faces and the one rubbing his face), and the actions of the supervisors (all leaving the scene after this attack) tells me all I need to know.

I believe this is a blatant attempt to foment a split between the protesters and the beat cops; an attempt to create tensions between the police and the people so that violence will ensue. Don't let that happen.

I'm posting this because I see a lot of comments that disparage the NYPD as a whole for this action. I believe this is detrimental to the cause.

Many of the cops doing crowd control are doing just that. Many understand why these protests are going on. And I believe that many of them don't feel too good about what they are being forced to do.

This "man" (term used loosely) and the other supervisors seen scurrying away afterwards make the average beat cop NYPD look bad. These are not the "Blue Collar/Shirt officers that are "just doing their jobs". These are the sycophants that are giving the orders and leaving the beat cops holding the bag.

Don't turn on the cops. get the cops to turn on them.

Props to "WhoIsNumberNone" for the screen grab.