Pandemonium outside Hofstra debate: Mounted police push back protesters and spectators. At least three trampled and injured. Fifteen arrested

<NOTE: This article originally written for Huffington Post's OffTheBus.>

A peaceful protest erupted into pandemonium outside Hofstra University tonight around 8pm, just one hour before the third and final US Presidential debate.

Mounted police pushed back veterans, protesters, and spectators. Fifteen people were arrested, and at least three injured.

The incident occurred as members of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) attempted to commit an act of non-violent civil disobedience and enter the debate to ask a question of the presidential candidates.

According to eyewitnesses, the IVAW members were arrested as they attempted to cross Hempstead Turnpike to enter the Hofstra campus.

Afterwards, mounted police pushed the crowd back onto the sidewalk, causing at least three people to be trampled under police horses.

Exclusive video and interviews from Be The Media:

This is an overview of Hempstead Turnpike from the southwest corner, facing north towards the entrance to Hofstra University.

This is the corner from which the IVAW members would attempt to cross the road in order to enter Hofstra's northwest gate.

The camera follows the police on horseback to the opposite (east) side of the street, where peaceful protesters are rallying.

The police made it clear that people could observe and rally on the sidewalk, but were forbidden from protesting on the street.

You can hear CodePink members singing "We are singing for a peaceful world."

This interview with CodePink was taken about two hours prior to the incident.

The CodePink group was on the opposite (southeast) corner from where the incident would take place, and CodePink members were not involved in the incident.

CodePink spokeswoman Jean Stevens: "We are the peace platform. We are promoting peace as the main form of change that we are all waiting for."

Dana Balicki: "Its not about what they can give us, cause we've learned that if we wait around for them to give us what we need as Americans, as peacemakers on this planet, as global citizens, we'll be waiting around a really long time."

This video was taken about 8pm, from the southeast corner, facing west. The mounted police were trying to keep the Iraq Veterans Against the War members off the street by pushing them back onto the sidewalk.

The sidewalks were overflowing with observers, students, and civilians, only about 10 feet deep, and backed by a wall. When the mounted police moved forward, spectators on this corner were trapped, with nowhere to go.

<Apologies for the raw footage. It was dark out, I didn't have a light, and I was not able to cross over to the west side of the street to get closer to the disturbance.>

A higher resolution version of the tape shows that there is a person lying on the ground with their hands covering their head, under and alongside two of about six horses.

A few people started chanting "horseshit" and "bullshit," until CodePink members overwhelmed them with choruses of "Peace, Shalom, Shalom."

I finally got to the west side of the street. This video shows the injured spectator getting into an ambulance, bleeding from her face and head.

I interviewed her before she received medical attention. I suggested that she get medical attention, and directed her towards the ambulances.

I'd post that video, but I never got her approval, the light was really bad, and people were shouting so loudly that you can't really hear her.

Blood can be seen on the sidewalk, apparently from injuries sustained by US Army Sgt Nick Morgan (below). Photo: Bill Perry.

The crowd chants "Shame! Shame!" at the assembled police line.

Three eyewitnesses from IVAW: Sargent Jason Wayne Lemieux, USMC; Sargent Liam Madden, USMC and co-chair, IVAW; and Jabbar Magruder, Blackhawk helicopter mechanic, Army National Guard.

Jason:

"Six veterans attempted to get into the debate. They tried to move past the police line and were arrested. The riot line started pushing us back across the street. They just kept pushing and pushing. Occasionally one officer would charge their horse forward into the crowd. One of the times that they charged forward...they actually stepped on several of our members including one member who was stepped on the face by a horse. A civilian was also trampled. "

Liam:

"We were trying to peacefully enter the debates to ask <the candidates> questions. ... We arranged this with the police beforehand, they knew that we were being non-violent. ... The police continued to charge the horses at the protesters, activists and civilians...resulting in the stepping on an Iraq veteran by a horse..."

Jabbar:

"The horses began to essentially push us across the street, and we got pushed back so far there was nowhere to go. And the last charge, is when our member got stepped on."

"I have not seen injuries like that since Iraq. Seeing people laying on the ground like that. I don't need to go through that here in the streets. I don't need to go through that here in America."

"And this is what I got tonight for trying to peacefully bring a message to these candidates. Both of them claim that they support veterans, and this is how we got supported tonight. By being pushed back and trampled and arrested."

Two spectator eyewitnesses:

"They kept pushing us further back until we got to the sidewalk, and they told us to get onto the sidewalk. And they continued to bring the horses up onto the sidewalk. A few IVAW members tried to break through the line and they were trampled, along with another woman." 

About 45 minutes after the incident, the only corporate outlet to cover the event was Fox. They interviewed three eyewitnesses, one of whom was apparently injured.

Woman One:

"There was no violence by anybody. They called for non-violence."

Woman Two:

"All of us said that it was non-violent. They sent out press releases that told all the men in charge that it was going to be a non-violent protest."

"I got pushed with horses, I got pushed down by a man with a nightstick. I got pushed down onto the ground by a SWAT team. We kept on saying "non-violent, non-violent," and they continued to push all of us."

Brandon Sanders:

"They weren't just backing us up slowly, they shoved her to the ground. And that officer did not have a badge, or any kind of identification on his chest, so that we could know who our civil servant is that's supposed to be protecting us. Who shoved her to the ground so carelessly,and putting her life in danger."

"The same officers who led their horses out of control that might have killed an Iraqi veteran here tonight, stomping his head with their horse."

<Note: I'd be interested in seeing if this appears on Fox, and if so, what angle they will take...>          

In this clip, I asked a few patrol officers for some information on those arrested. Eventually, they gave me the number for Public Information Office, which was very helpful (516) 573-7000.

According to the desk officer, fifteen people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

Approximately five hours after the incident, (1am eastern time), fourteen people were released on court appearance tickets scheduled for November 10. One person was still being held for refusing to sign paperwork.

Arrested IVAW members included Adam Kokesh (USMC Sgt), Geoff Mallard (Army Sgt), Maralissa Grogan (USMC Captain), Nathan Peld (USN), James Gilligan (Cpl, USMC), Kristofer Goldsmith (Army Sgt), Mike Spiniateo (Sgt), Jose Vasquez (Army), Matthis Chiroux (Army Sgt), and Nick Morgan (Army Sgt).

Morgan, 24, of Washington DC (below), suffered a fractured cheekbone and injuries to his head and chest. As of this writing, he was released from the hospital. (Photo: Bill Perry)

Comments

[jimmie]

hello david...its me jimmie im sorry that i havent been able to respond to your rebuttal, however, i do work and i do not 'sit behind a computer all day'. i very rarely get involved in this stuff but i was going through some of my old stuff and came across your comments. if you would still like to discuss this topic i will.

[multiplefronts]

Hello All-

I just wanted to draw your attention to this video, particularly these video stills, that i shot during the Iraq Veterans Against the War protest at the final U.S. presidential debates, last Wednesday, in Long Island, NY. The video is extremely disturbing and clearly shows Iraq War Veteran Nick Morgan at the moment when his head was crushed to the sidewalk under a police horse. This story has been completely ignored in the media. He was legally, peacefully and standing on the sidewalk when the event occurred.

The still images speak volumes to this moment in history, please look at them and please get them to people (journalists, activists, veterans) who can use them! - http://www.flickr.com/multiplefronts

The video is on Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlI7tQCqwbU (watch in high quality)

Video links and more information are posted at - http://www.iwitnessvideo.info

Last Wednesday October 15th 2008, former Army Sergeant Nick Morgan, a 24 year old veteran of the US war in Iraq, was nearly killed by riot police, his face crushed under a police horse, during a peaceful protest outside the final US presidential debates.

Morgan is a native of Annapolis, MD who spent four-years the US Army and one year in Iraq. He was a participant in the Winter Soldier hearings and is an active member of the Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), a national organization of 'Global War On Terror' veterans who had come to the Presidential debates in Long Island, demanding that veterans' concerns be heard during these nationally televised dialogues.

The IVAW had previously announced, sending a letter to CBS, that two veterans had prepared one question each for Obama and McCain, to be asked during the televised debate. They had also announced that if they didn't receive a response by 7pm on the night of the debates, that those veterans would enter the debates anyway, in an attempt to be seen, if not actually have their voices heard.

On Wednesday, as the sun was going down, the veterans waited for a response with a crowd of civilian supporters. When no response came from CBS, Obama, or McCain by 7pm, they led a march peacefully to the gate of the debates. Seven veterans were arrested while attempting to enter the gate of the national debates.

Nassau county police immediately began pushing the crowd of media, veterans and supporters backwards and across the street, charging riot cops and horses into the tightly packed crowd. One officer, Officer Quagliano was seen by many witnesses to be driving his horse backwards, in circles and out of control, repeatedly antagonizing Nick Morgan and a group of Iraq War vets who were peacefully holding the front of the line. The IVAW veterans are committed to non-violence and committed to protecting 'civilians' that come out to support them. Video shows him swiping Morgan and veteran Carlos Harris with the head of his horse just a few minutes before trampling them on the ground.

After the crowd was divided in two and fully pushed back onto the sidewalk with nowhere to go, Officer Quagliano continued to run his horse into the crowd and in circles ON the sidewalk. Riot police on foot began pulling people from the tightly packed sidewalk and into the way of Quagliano's out of control horse. At least three civilians and and three veterans were knocked to the ground and trampled in the undertow.

This video clearly shows the moment of impact as Officer Quagliano's horse backs up and steps on Nick Morgan's face. He immediately lost consciousness and his lower orbital was shattered in 3 places. After nearly being killed, suffering a concussion and bleeding profusely from the head, police actually refused to allow other soldiers and friends to give him medical attention and to protect him from Quagliano's horse, still stomping inches from his body.

A police statement later claimed that quote "a 'person' may have been injured when their body came into contact with a horse." While the event happened quickly and in the pitch black, the momentary flashes in the darkness reveal a different story.

Instead, Nick Morgan was flipped, tugged, and dragged by police, bruising and cutting his abdomen. He was pulled from the crowd, face wiped, and thrown in an arrest van with other arrested veterans.

Morgan, who already suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after his tour of duty in Iraq, was eventually taken to Nassau County hospital where he was handcuffed to a gurney, cat-scanned and given a prescription for antibiotics and Motrin. Ironically, Morgan and other members of Iraq Veterans Against the War had come to the October debates with the intention of asking candidates pointed questions about lack of care for veterans.

A few hours later he was taken to jail, chained to a bench for five hours, and given a November 10th court appearance ticket for a charge of disorderly conduct.

Multiple veterans and civilians were injured by horses. All were given insufficient medical attention at Nassau County hospital. Veteran Carlos Harris had his foot stepped on and was refused an X-ray at Nassau County. IVAW supporter Devra Shore actually heard her foot crack under the hooves a horse, and she too was denied any diagnosis in Nassau County.

Nick Morgan has nerve damage and his vision is still blurry. He underwent facial reconstructive surgery this morning to keep his crushed cheekbone from sinking into his face.

The reality is that American police nearly killed an American vet last week with immunity, and with complete silence from the media, as he peacefully exercised those 'constitutional freedoms' he was sworn to protect and was supposedly fighting for across the world. Anti-war Veterans like Nick Morgan have suffered a double betrayal, in Iraq and at home, and their voices deserve to be heard, if not by the presidential candidates, then by the American people themselves.

Iraq Veterans Against the War is - http://ivaw.org

[globalpundit.org]

I wanted to share the audio of the interview I did with matthis, marlisa, and megan moments after they were released from custody - please follow this link to the interviews I did Prior and After the arrests as well as the print stories I did.

I judiciously edited the post release interviews just b/c i could understand thier anger but didn't want it to be colour their articulate descriptions:

www.youtube.com/globalpunditorg
(FOOTAGE and interviews there)

and the articles for mational media are here:

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/261223

AND:

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/260976

i could use a 'little' backing as the wingnuts are starting to emerge and threaten me both on posts and via email - it's be cool if some other people piped in for their support for the troops...

www.globalpundit.org

[david]

Readers: It should be noted that the comments

* Fed Up With Libral BS!!
* Tired of the slanted views
* Sick of the slanted BS I'm seeing

Are all from the same person. The email address that person provided bounced.

So I leave it for my readers to decide - is this prolific but anonymous emailer telling the truth, or are the half dozen vets and civilians that I videotaped on the scene telling the truth?

Come out behind your anonymous email, jimmie!

Or please troll somewhere else. Otherwise you'll be the first IP address to be banned from this site....

[david]

Dear "Sick of the slanted BS I'm seeing" and "Tired of the slanted views":

Thanks so much for your comments. Since you posted two comments, both using the same email and IP address, I assume you are the same person.

Since you claim to have been on the scene, your perspective is certainly invaluable. I am interested in hearing your version of events for a follow-up I am preparing. It is vitally important to hear all sides of this troubling story.

Unfortunately, attempts to contact you via the email address you provided bounced back.

Your post also includes law enforcement lingo ("dicon" is short for "disorderly conduct," right?). Some might say that you are PD hiding behind an anonymous email address to spread mis-information to readers of this blog. But I won’t jump to conclusions!

Just FYI: All eyewitnesses I interviewed gave a similar version of events. I didn't cherry-pick interviewees – just spoke to eyewitnesses on the scene. I tried to get police comment, but they would not respond to multiple requests.

I'd like to do a follow-up, including your version of the events. I promise you will be able to tell your side of the story in a supportive, fair, and balanced environment.

We all want to find out what actually happened. If you are interested, please come on out behind the anonymous email address and contact me as soon as possible at info@bethemedia.com.

[lofas]

Oooo it's illegal. They deserved it because they were being disobedient.

Well, guess what. I'm not obedient. When cops serve and protect only the big shots that pay them and enjoy busting civilian heads, it's time we fight back.
They should be pulled off their horses and beaten to death for ignoring the oath they took and our constitutional rights.

When will you realize we're in the middle of a revolution and these people are fighting for your rights? And since when is civil disobedience wrong? These cops are not your friends. They're the enemy, bought and paid for by the people who ruined our economy and turned the world against us. It's our obligation to break the law if it's a bad one and if you think otherwise you would be the kind of jackass who sided with the redcoats 150 years ago.

[Tired of the slanted views]

Other than the blood on his face, the photo looks doctored. Where is the blood? I see what looks like red spray paint and a small smear by a hat. Why is there no blood on the hat. If the injured man was bleeding that profusely, why is there no blood on the ground? What I am seeing is a one sided view at an event that I witnessed and observed something entirely different

[Sick of the slanted BS I'm seeing]

These veterans committed an act of civil disobedience. The police knew what they planned to do and the protesters knew they would be arrested for dicon if they chose not to obey. 10 chose to attempt to enter a credentials only area and were arrested. The rest of the crowd (250 or so) were asked repeatedly to disperse so that Hempstead Tpke. could be re-opened. The crowd would not disperse and several attempted to go around police horses. One individual was grabbed by police officers and his own supporters grabbed him and attempted to pull him back into the crowd. He fell during the scuffle and either hurt his face or was possible stepped on by a police horse. I WAS THERE AND WITNESSED THE ENTIRE INCIDENT UP TO HIS FALL. The horse did not cause the fall. When he went down, my view was blocked and I didn’t see if he was stepped on. People say he was, I did not see that. Those who are saying this took place on the sidewalk and the protesters had no place to go, are incorrect. They were asked repeatedly to cross back to the other side of the TPKE. Thats where the should have gone. I did hear the PD call for an ambulance, but it took a while to arrive because Hempstead Tpke. was still shut down because the protesters would not disperse. Ifeel sorry for the man who was injured, but he and the crowd should have listened to the police officers orders to go back across the street and continue there protest from there. I know I will be slammed by this post, but I was there and saw everything. SO BE IT. GOD BLESS

[david]

Dear "jimmie,"

Thanks for your comments.

You are correct, the effort on behalf of IVAW was a planned act of non-violent civil disobedience. They knew that this action might result in their arrest, and yet they still did it, and were arrested.

Their action was infinitely more courageous than yours - sitting in front of a computer and disparaging the men and women that fought, and still fight, for our rights - the right to peaceably assemble, and speak freely to our elected representatives.

To be clear - the injuries apparently took place AFTER the arrests. According to multiple eyewitnesses, the mounted police pushed the crowd onto the sidewalk. The sidewalks were only about 10 feet wide, were overflowing with people, with a wall in the back.

The people on the sidewalk had nowhere to go. If you look at the video and still photos, you will see that the blood is on the sidewalk, not the street.

So, where were YOU? Did you witness this? If so, I'd love to know more.

If not, why not thank the veterans that safeguard our right to free speech, both abroad and now, apparently, at home?

Thanks to our veterans, you have the freedom to safely criticize courageous people from the comfort of your living room or office, without fear of being trampled by a horse, or knocked down with a nightstick.

You should be thanking these courageous men and women. I am not sure from your note why you are so angry about this.

[jimmie]

I LOVE IT!!! Who reads and listens to this stuff and thinks 'wow what a shame, those poor people'? Wake up! The facts are, they were trying to cross the line and go into the debate...illegally! If it was so PEACEFUL, they wouldnt have been breaking ANY laws! But they did, and it wasnt as 'peaceful' as they all want to make it sound, TRUST ME! As for the GI that said these were the word injuries he had seen since Iraq...then obviously he was busy typing up requests and orders and not out on the line fighting!

[Chris]

I'm sick of talk, time is overdue for a revolution!

[Scott]

Troops
I am in awe, I don’t know what to say. Just know that when it finally does hit the fan the some of us “civilians” will stand with you and cover your backs as you have done for us with such painful sacrifices.
I am sorry this has happened to you but you must realize this has been going (to this degree of severity) on now really since 9-11 you cannot imagine how many thousands of instances that have happened.
Google “law maker arrested” and you will get about 1,000.000 hits can you see the irony in it all. God Bless you troops and all you have done. I think its time to focus your attention inward.

[Max Fortres]

The problem as I see it, is that they showed up to a fight unarmed. At the least, protesters should carry mace or those electronic zappers. If someone tries to assault me with a horse, I would take the horse out. Mace their eyes, zap their nose or break their leg with a well placed side kick. I apologize for not being a pacifist, but that is my opinion.

[david]

Dear "Fed Up With Libral (sp) BS!!"

Thanks for your thoughtful comments. You are correct that it would be silly to think that one (or more) could enter into a Presidential debate, easily passing through police lines, secret service background checks, etc.

It probably wasn't clear from the video, but the veterans and civilians that were trampled were injured by the mounted police AFTER the six IVAW members were arrested.

The people that were injured by the PD were not trying to get into the debate.

[Brandon Sanders]

There is a segment missing from the FOX interview where I spoke with them about the veterans.. and the reasons we were there.. Unless I came across poorly, can you please post it up?

Thanks,
Brandon

[Fed Up With Libral BS!!]

If it was supposed to be a "peaceful protest" why would you attempt to enter an area closed by the Secret Service and NCPD to non credentialed civilians? The PD prevented the group from entering, thats there job!