After she told them that her press pass was her I.D., an officer grabbed her elbow, but by that time, weary reporters had surrounded the scene like sharks, and cameras clicked away as the police hassled the tiny woman. Sensing a public relations crisis, the cops relented. Discipline fell apart among protesters and cops alike. One officer lifted the yellow tape and allowed the demonstration to cross the street, but once there, another officer ordered the protesters to stay put. Soon, the once-orderly demonstration blocked two sidewalks.
Some cops let the clean-cut office people cross the streets for lunch.
Other cops glowered and cursed anyone who dared approach their makeshift positions. Soon they officially forbade anyone from crossing the street at all. Cops stood two deep along the sidewalks, which forced all pedestrians to brave the traffic in the street. By this time, Moore was no longer the issue. The protesters persisted simply to prove that they could while the officers continued to protect their territory.