Felix Rivera-Pitre, HIV Positive Occupy Wall Street Protester Punched By NYPD, Suggests Police Gets Tested

Tales of police brutality coming out of the Occupy Wall Street protests have become routine since activists took over Lower Manhattan in September.

Earlier this month two women were hit with pepper spray for no apparent reason and a trans protestor claimed he was subjected to unfair treatment when he was arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Now Gothamist.com is reporting an HIV positive protestor received an unprovoked punch from a police man.

In the accompanying video, above, Felix Rivera-Pitre is seen walking when a member of the NYPD suddenly attacks him. The crowd instantly goes wild and Rivera-Pitre says that he was pulled to safety by those around him:

"The cops were pulling me by my feet and the crowd was pulling me by my hands, and I was suspended in the air. But there were more people than cops, and they pulled me out."

But it wasn't before Rivera-Pitre's earring was torn from his ear, covering him in blood. "I remember seeing my earring on the ground next to me and it was full of blood. I was completely dumbstruck. I'm HIV positive and that cop should get tested," he says.

Update: A new interview with Rivera-Pitre has been posted on The Street:

See photos from the Wall Street protests:

 

 

Comments

[Rodger leMonde]

06:07 PM on 10/15/2011

Amazing how many egomaniacs think they are part of the one percent. Goes to show how warped their view of this nation is.

[kbeth]

06:36 PM on 10/15/2011

And how deep in denial some of them are.

[Abir Mandal]

04:26 PM on 10/22/2011

Just because I am not part of the 1% does not mean I wanna protest them. This just shows that you represent your own demands, not those of the 99% of the country.

[Rodger leMonde]

02:06 PM on 10/23/2011

The demand is for the benefit of 99%. The deck has been increasingly stacked against the people.
It is telling that when people speak out against the one per cent they get this police response.

[lambdin1]

02:59 PM on 10/15/2011

I wonder if bullies everywhere are trained by the NYPD?

[SMASH AUTHORITY]

01:36 PM on 10/15/2011

Maybe the cop will get it- its his own fault if he does.

[hellnomo]

12:13 PM on 10/15/2011

If he is typhoid Mary quarantine it.

[amberhrt1]

11:20 AM on 10/15/2011

Our whole country began as a protest movement. Don't any of you know history.? And much of the dissatisfaction was economic. Those rebel protesters were noisy, dirty, troublesome and the ruling class British couldn't stand them. "Filthy rabble". Some of our forefathers were less than law-abiding. To most Americans, they are seen as heroes and roll models. So here are their children centuries later. Some are kooks; some looking for trouble...but most just want justice and a chance at a decent life...just like our forefathers did. These aren't "marxists"; they are Americans protesting in the streets as is their RIGHT.

[SMASH AUTHORITY]

01:36 PM on 10/15/2011

Obviously baggers dont know their history. I always tell them that the founding fathers who the describe as "conservative" and "patriotic" were thought of as liberal radicals at the time. Yet the baggers will keep saying.

[Martin Beck]

03:02 PM on 10/15/2011

well said I can not agree more .

[tickingtimebomb]

09:27 AM on 10/15/2011

This is Obama's Marxist base.

[msbeal]

08:47 PM on 10/15/2011

Groping for an easy handle to dismiss all this are ya?

In one picture of the protests, a man is holding up a sign which reads: Prosecute the Bankers, Curb the Lobbyists, Overturn Citizens United, Tax the Rich and Take Back the Country.

Where in there do you see Marx?

[tickingtimebomb]

06:32 AM on 10/16/2011

Of course you're not going to see a sign, that's to out in the open.

They work underground like all good commies do. Did you miss the young blonde woman saying that she is a communist?

[LoyalBob]

07:13 AM on 10/15/2011

Obviously the cop needed to get his workout in that day. What happened to cops being fit so they can catch criminals. I suppose now they just swing at non-offenders in close proximity. Time to ease off the donuts, guys.

This video, as was the pepper spraying of the group of women, was disgusting to watch. If police can't be any more controlled than that then they need to be fired. They look like a bunch of thugs instead of professionals.

[msbeal]

08:49 PM on 10/15/2011

Isn't this the second time we've seen where it wasn't a beat cop but one of those supervisor white shirted cops? Older generation I supposed.

[Phillip Ramirez]

06:50 AM on 10/15/2011

Interesting. As a student of body language, it's awfully convenient that we don't see what proceeds the attack by the officer. Granted, no person in authority should ever do what the officer did and I certainly don't condone his actions. But judging by the way Mr. Rivera-Pitre is carrying himself and walking in amidst all of this chaos, the indication to me is that something had been said... or possibly even done... to the officer. Something unflattering or even insulting.

All I ask is that you look again for yourselves and watch how he's walking. It struck me as odd that someone would be walking that way, without looking around at anything around him, in all of this chaos. It's like a bully on a playground who walk by and insult another kid as they walk by, and then continue walking as if nothing happened.

Again, just my personal observation.

[rodrigbl1114]

10:44 AM on 10/15/2011

I agree completely. It was weird that he was just strolling along and bam a cop punches him. And a camera is right there to catch it all. People need to open their eyes, it is not always at it seems!!

[SreeBee]

10:20 AM on 10/17/2011

Yeah rodrigbl1114, the police NEVER act brutally just for the sake of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYMKyJRAabE

Its really "weird' when they just beat on people and a camera JUST so happens to be there to catch it, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgQl7D7DXAo

And who knows, maybe this man in the wheel chair was just "setting the cops up" to make them look bad on camera, right? Check out the link above and see what'cha think!

I respect and admire good police officers, and dont fault the whole order for the sake of those power hungry bullies that often wind up in their ranks.

But dont try to minimize the injustice here.

My god, Tea Baggers spat at sitting Representative and screamed the most foul and bigoted insults at them... they openly carry guns to their rallies, and follow a deranged, self-centered lunatic who EXPLICITLY fantasizes about assassinating Nancy Pelosi.

But when people peacefully protest the criminality of Wall Street, lets penn them up and pepper spray them, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moD2JnGTToA

Thats what a Fox Funded, Tea Bag vision of America is all about, double standards, self- righteous oppression and bitter hypocrisy.

Yeah rod, people NEED to open their eyes.

[msbeal]

08:52 PM on 10/15/2011

Assume he did do something, is that how you'd recommend arresting someone?

[Phillip Ramirez]

09:50 AM on 10/16/2011

Guess you didn't read my post thoroughly. I disagree with strong-arm tactics of ANY kind. They just smack of Brown Shirts, goose-stepping and hobnail boots. And again, what seems like an "unprovoked" attack may actually have been someone deliberately baiting the police for just such an occasion. In order for the authorities to deal honestly with us, we must deal honestly with them.

And as Rod pointed out... those cameras being there at the "right time" was a little TOO convenient, if you ask me.

[JLeamer]

01:08 AM on 10/15/2011

A Modern Day Boston Tea Party...when the uprising against tyranny was noble and good and productive...

[tickingtimebomb]

09:25 AM on 10/15/2011

These people are nothing but Marxist bums looking for handouts to take care of their dysfunctional families.

[JLeamer]

12:04 PM on 10/15/2011

"These people" are things you seem unwilling (or unable) to comprehend in your negative, judgemental expression of opinion. Without actions identical to their own, you would not be reaping the benefits of free trade (or the effects of a corrupt system that has overcome it). Please explain the "Marxist" theories behind each of "these people"s intentions because I suspect you throw that word (Marxist) around for slanerdous effect, without REALLY knowing what it means (and one certainly can't apply it ACCURATELY to an unknown crowd of protesters with no apparent leaders or spokespersons).

[Rodger leMonde]

06:03 PM on 10/15/2011

Do you think the 1% will take care of dysfunctional you?

[Oh Johnny]

07:37 AM on 10/15/2011

You need to start getting you news from some one other than carefully edited Fox news.

There is no magic to interviewing 40 people and finding a few that do not articulate them selves well.

It's likely many of the most inane answers and statements were and are plants.

The GOP has done this many times to sway opinion, and create a false reality.

I have a cousin that use to work for Fox in Boston as a reporter, and this practice is common.

Fox will do anything to feed their lemmings read meat.

[crazyryou]

11:39 PM on 10/14/2011

I was just sort of amazed at how many cameras came out and so quickly.

[jmoser1973]

01:46 AM on 10/15/2011

really? everyone is on go there waiting for something to happen.

[Rodger leMonde]

06:05 PM on 10/15/2011

Ain''t technology wonderful? Don't fascists hate evidence of their evil?

[jvinylman502]

08:46 PM on 10/15/2011

I like how these protesters have cell phones , i-pods and such. If they really hated capitolism they should throw them all away. Hypocrits just like people having a concert to save the trees but using accustic guitars. lol

[mrdude1]

12:08 AM on 10/15/2011

They dont hate jews they hate obama. All of obama's back room deals and give aways and illegal immigration and the never ending debt. The people have had enough of this foreign born dictator. Its time for obama to go.

[Robbert Copper]

01:41 AM on 10/15/2011

Mrdude1: You sound like someone who is out of touch. I would get into it with you but they won't let me post what I really think about what you just said.

[jmoser1973]

01:48 AM on 10/15/2011

Dude, learn to research before you talk. Obama is American born. They don't hate Obama, they hate wall street. I think you must be watching Al Qaeda news.

[calarryf]

10:45 PM on 10/14/2011

Hey, losers in New York...Alabama is short of tomato pickers - get your sorry a-- down there and make some money - then go back to NYC and clean up that pig-pen park you are living in...oh wait...can they forward welfare checks?

[tlee47ftw]

11:13 PM on 10/14/2011

It's ok for Tea Party racist mobs to make fools of themselves but when someone is protesting the banks and financial institutions that caused the recession and that the Tea Party wants to remove regulation from, then you are against that. Kind of hypocritical I'd say. And if you can say that they are all on welfare, then I can say all Tea Party people are redneck racists and uneducated fools.

[jvinylman502]

08:51 PM on 10/15/2011

We are not racists. and by the way, Obama is the one who forced banks to take money so you should be protesting him.also, look up Dodd Frank.And un-educated ? lol. Have you heard some of these protesters speak ? I would much rather be called un-educated than brainwashed and stupid anyday. And one last thing...the Tea Party isn't paid by George Soros to be their like many are. Keep up the name calling. lol when was the last time somebody had to clean up after any Tea Party event? Never.

[gympossum]

10:31 PM on 10/14/2011

No one needs to be hitting anyone. No one should be badgering anyone, police included. How many jobs were created from this movement? We all know that the economy is in a depression and very few of us can do anything about it. We take pay cuts, we are upside down in our houses even if we have been paying on them for years, many of us have lost our homes to forcloser.
We are not a share the wealth country, we are an earn our own way country. With so many out of work, for the mind set that Americans have, these are hard times. We see frustration and no way to solve it.
I am self employed...for the last two years my number one employee has made more than me...everyone else is part time.in fact others were let go just so we can work. All of us love our work.
Everyone does have the right for employment, to seek out better jobs, to change jobs if they wish... or create there own jobs in this country! No one has the right to dictate in this country how others earn there money.
You want jobs go flip burgers....My father started as a stockman in a walgreens, and ended up working for Sam Walton. He did not have a college degree...but he lived the american dream.
My amercian dream I learned from my father.

[Alvin McEwen]

02:40 PM on 10/15/2011

knock that off. What's with pushing the stereotype that these people are folks who are complaining instead of doing their fair share. I'm sorry but these folks have a right to complain. And YES if someone is making their money cheating, receiving bailouts and then doing the same thing which caused them to have to get the bailouts in the first place, then people should be angry. YOU should be angry. It's as if you are telling people that they are wrong to be angry when they are being taking advantage of and the same folks who tell them to pull themselves up by their bootstraps are cutting their hands off at the wrists. Telling people that hard work and the determination to reach your goals is good but that telling folks that as a way to trying to distract from the fact that they are being taken advantage of is shameful.

[jvinylman502]

08:58 PM on 10/15/2011

I think they should take over the White House. That is where the polocies are made that made banks take money and to make bad loans to people that could not afford them.And I still wait for that summer of recovery and UN-employment to go below 8%. I have read many of the sighns of anti-capitolism so throw away call phones and such. Those were made in a capitolistic society. I guess this is how the White House brings americans together. Yet another failure.

[spk81469]

10:30 PM on 10/14/2011

I wasn't sure at first about this protest but I have to agree with some of it. Let's face it everytime we turn around there is some new tax being thrown at us while the pay rate hasn't increased. Who's benefitting from these taxes? Surely not someone who actually does something for a living. It's the ones who don't do anything but that reap the rewards. More taxes, higher taxes yet the roads are in disrepair and school cutbacks keep coming. The money is going somewhere. Just not where it should be going.

[gotrefuge]

10:43 PM on 10/14/2011

If you want to complain about taxes, you should protest in Washington.

[spk81469]

10:53 PM on 10/14/2011

Sorry for the inconvienance. I'll make sure I check with you on where to protest next time.

[Heather Bunch Williams]

10:35 AM on 10/15/2011

Thank you! Everything spk81469 mentions in his complaint is based on Government regulations & laws. What in the world does Wall Street have to do with any of that?