Not sure how true it is, but the full story as claimed by many of the commenters:
> This article is misleading. It makes the protesters seem like they caused the incident by blocking traffic. The group was led onto the bridge where police kettled them in and arrested them 1 by 1.
Based on the story at the New York Times it sounds like what happened is something this:
1. There was no problem as long as people stayed on the sidewalk.
2. A small number of protestors left the sidewalk and took to the street, chanting that they were going to take the bridge.
3. Police told them to get out of the street or they would be arrested.
4. At some point, the police were walking in the street, and the protestors in the street were following them.
5. People on the sidewalk farther back or not yet on the bridge saw that, and thought the the police were given the protestors an escort in the street and that it was OK therefore to walk in the street.
These protestors really need to get better organized. When they decided to head across the bridge, they should have made it clear that the plan was to stay on the sidewalk. The leaders knew this, but apparently it was not communicated to the masses.
Sounds almost like a revenue raising exercise. If the protestors are getting small fines, and no other penalties, this would be very disturbing. Serious sentences for trouble makers is necessary, but using small revenue-raising fines to control large mobs will chill protest movements.
> This article is misleading. It makes the protesters seem like they caused the incident by blocking traffic. The group was led onto the bridge where police kettled them in and arrested them 1 by 1.