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Tony-winning actress Ellen Barkin rang in the new year in her typical brash style — uncorking a profanity-laced Twitter tirade against the NYPD and Mayor Bloomberg after watching the predawn arrests of suspected Occupy Wall Street scofflaws near her West Village townhouse.
Does the video back up Barkin’s description of the incident on her Twitter feed?
“I was trying 2 make my way 2 young girl they had thrown in2 the van.She was not a protester.Was not drunk.She was walking home,” she wrote.
Just before Barkin said she was shoved, she began chronicling the police scuffles, writing, “Walking home…13th & 6th, police making random arrests of non protesters.Young girl in police van screaming”I’m just trying 2 get home” and then “People being thrown in police vans, arrested for “jaywalking”What happened to the NYPD of my youth?Who are u all?Shame shame on u all.”
Barkin is an outspoken progressive and has been an open advocate of the Occupy Wall Street movement; some of that movement’s protestors were active throughout the city on New Year’s Eve, including a brief retaking of their one-time base, Zuccotti Park.
Later on, Barkin slammed New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, writing, “Fuck all of u,Bloomberg & every1 goose-stepping behind u.I cannot believe what I am seeing.U protect nothing.U ARE the violence in my city.”
Full piece here.
NOTE: This post has been updated to provide more context.