April 21, 2022 | QUEENS, NY: Thursday evening around 15 climate activists were arrested following a massive news paper blockade protest at the New York Times & Wall Street Journal printing plant and distribution center in Flushing Queens. On earth day, activists set up blockades at each of the plants entrance, causing hundreds of employees to be stuck inside and outside of the facilities parking lot for over 6 hours.
The distribution facility has a couple thousand workers and distributes the paper for many news outlets, most papers did not get distributed Friday morning as trucks could be seen lined up and unable to enter or exit due to “Teepee” looking structures protesters call Tripods. Plant workers stood by looking on in frustration as police and fire crews worked to remove protesters from the site.
Workers were seen getting out of their personal vehicles as they arrived to work to express their opinion on the event directly to protesters only to be barred from entering with their vehicles. Plant employees mentioned to those involved in the action that they were messing with the workers and told them to go protest on Eighth avenue at the other NYTimes building in Manhattan.
Another worker spoke with us and mentioned he was 15 minutes late to work and that his tardiness is what saved him from being one of the drivers stuck for hours inside the facilities parking lot. Drivers pull in to pick up their load of papers and leave the plant to distribute.
Protesters were seen assembling their blockade around 11:30pm and the act of civil disobedience went on into the early morning hours of Earth Day. NYPD spent over 6 hours arresting and cutting activists from their apparatuses. The protest blockade halted work procedures throughout the night at the distribution plant, affecting the delivery of many papers. It was also reported that one plant worker was arrested for attempting to drive through the blockade. Two people were hit but no serious injuries were reported following the climate action.
Video by Ken Lopez & Karla Coté (FreedomNewsTV)
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