Ellen Barkin has taken aim at New York's cops after witnessing their heavy-handed attempts to thwart Occupy Wall Street protests on New Year's Eve (31Dec11).
The Sea of Love star was on her way home from a night out at Joe's Pub with rumoured boyfriend Sam Levinson when the couple was reportedly accosted by police.
She took to Twitter.com on Sunday (01Jan12) to tell followers and fans about her ruined New Year’s Eve, 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'...
"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."
She added, "Just threatened on my street by NYPD, cop shoved me, both hands, onto sidewalk... Is it a crime 2 stand in the street in NY? WTF (what the f**k) is going on here?... NOT MY CITY!
"NYPD violent attacks & arrests of any1 they can get their hands on. Very few actual protesters,just random people in the streets... I cannot believe what I am seeing. U protect nothing. U ARE the violence in my city.
"I am home & safe but not everyone is. What I saw the NYPD doing to innocent people just walking home on NYE was chilling. Where r we headed?... I am not an alarmist or exaggerator... this really shocked me. Had no idea where I was, or what was happening."
Levinson subsequently posted a video to his Twitter.com page that appears to show the actress arguing with cops.
Barkin has since refuted a news story suggesting she was pushed to the ground by police, adding, "I was walking home. I saw it. It was upsetting, and looked unnecessarily aggressive & random. I tweeted about it, as is my right. That’s all."
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