Occupying #MyNYPD

Any idea what might have caused the NYPD to think the monster they’ve unleashed, #myNYPD, was visual brilliance?

Perhaps NYPD PR may have still been a little cocky after their social media touch after the rampant popularity of officer Lawrence DePrimo’s gift of a pair of boots to a homeless man in Times Square back in November 2012. Shot by a tourist and posted to the department’s their Facebook page — the promised destination/reward for the more cherished pics posted to the hashtag — the boots were a viral sensation quickly garnering over 600,000 likes. …I’m not a Facebook expert, by the way, but I haven’t been able to find the original post on the NYPD FB page. (Here it is in Spanish.) Perhaps it was removed after that story, too, proved more complicated?)

Among those taking springing into action over the last 48 hours, Occupy is clearly getting some payback:

And how fitting what might be the first social media mass demonstration (I imagine the department calling it a virtual riot) is playing out by hashtag. The equivalent of truly communal real estate,  the NYPD has no ability to put a hand to the camera, let alone, overrun the park.

Bag’s Occupy coverage here.

(photo 1: Jennifer Foster via NYPD Facebook.  photo 2: AP. photo 3: unattributed. photo 4: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images caption: Occupy Wall Street protestors are arrested by New York City police officers during a demonstration across the street from the New York Stock Exchange on April 13, 2012 in New York City. In preparation for massive May Day demonstrations, Occupy Wall Street protestors continue to hold weekly “Spring Training” demonstrations.)