Helicopters?

Hate to be "that" person, but anyone know why there has been a helicopter with lights buzzing above north slope for the past hour?

well, if Walking Dead is to be believed, you need to get a group together fast

I overheard, not from any official, that there was some kind of threat made to the Atlantic Center. I see that the subway is still stopping there, so I am dubious, but tons of helicopters, so something is going on.

Oh no ZOMBIES!!

I just saw there was a protest at the Brooklyn Bridge, maybe people are marching nearby?

The threat that The Nets would possibly make the playoffs?

Wait you haven't already fled the city yet? Well uh thanks for delaying the zombies I guess... 

In all likelihood it's a terrorism drill or something.

The Nets? Don't worry, the NYPD has been sent over to break all of the player's legs.

yup, marching that involved the bridge and Barclays:

https://mobile.twitter.com/NYCityAlerts/status/588105892815474688

Anti police Protests at Barclays.

"National shutdown day protesters are lying on the ground and blocking Flatbush Ave & Atlantic Ave"

Photo: pic.twitter.com/9wI8IPl0og

There was a pretty heavy police presence at flatbush and 8th outside the m&t bank at 8pm, not sure if related. 20+ police officers, 5 squad cars blocking 8th, a corrections van.

This is not lookin' good, folks.  I have to wonder...are we headed towards Armageddon with the NYPD?  For that matter, are communities around the entire U. S. headed for something of the same with their own local police forces?

What's next?  A repeat of Kent State with the National Guard?

RRB

Relations between the police and the public (especially members of the oppressed classes and their sympathizers) have always been tense, and seem to come a head every 20 years.

From a US perspective, it seems natural. Routine.

The more things change, the more they stay same.

It is hard for me to imagine the things being discussed (body cameras, grand jury reform, racial diversity in the police force, etc) will result in anything more than tweaks.

Makes for easy media though: http://7online.com/news/demonstrators-marching-in-manhattan-to-protest-police-violence/658999/

Thanks for starting the thread. I noticed the helicopters as well.

I hope all these protests will make things better.

I felt that just the threatening sound of those hovering helicopters was inherently racist. 

Adds so much to the tension. Terrible.

I think most of the helicopters were news helicopters.

So is today's helicopter brought to us by that Gowanus swimmer I heard about?

Yup, looks like it: http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/38/17/dtg-gowanus-swim-liveblog-2015-04-24-bk.html

Likely corresponds to it being Earth Day.

By making themself sick by swimming the canal, they are likely to bring attention to how bad we are to the earth.

...and end up really sick.

It was mildly entertaining:

"Swain plans on eating charcoal at the end of his swim"

http://gothamist.com/2015/04/22/gowanus_swimmer_liveblog.php

Just because I avoid walking near that canal in the summer as a result of the stench, doesn't mean that others shouldn't swim in it.

To each his own.