WGA East irked by Occupy, NYPD

The WGA East includes a bone to choose with both Occupy Wall Street and also the NYPD after people from the protest movement disrupted lensing with an episode of "Law and Order: SVU" in line with the group's exploits. Dick Wolf Prods. tried to shoot the show on 12 ,. 8 in Foley Square on the set made to seem like Occupy's encampment at Zuccotti Park. The union, that has expressed solidarity with Occupy, stated Thursday it had been "disappointed" when its people learned about the "mockupation," which led to the cancellation from the show's filming permit and also the finish of location shooting for that "SVU" episode. Lowell Billings, professional director from the WGAE, recognized Occupy as "probably the most energizing, progressive movement we have observed in a very long time" but stated it was ironic the left-leaning group made a decision to protest a union-approved set. "The NYPD is most likely more responsible,Inch Billings stated. "I do not think the protesters went in and stated, 'Oh, let us go ahead and take set lower.' Which was law enforcement.Inch Within an open letter to Occupy and also the NY Police Dept., the WGAE stated the actions of both groups violated its First Amendment privileges. "Freedom of speech is freedom of speech," stated the unsigned letter, "whether it's the OWS demonstrators' to quietly assemble and protest without anxiety about retribution or 'Law and Order's' capability to film within the roads of NY and tell its tales without anxiety about vandalism from protesters or overreaction through the police." It is really important, Billings stated, for that WGA to create that message obvious to Occupy, that they've much in keeping. "Within this situation, those who shut lower this scene were people we accept,Inch Billings stated. "If it absolutely was the Tea Party lower there, we'd have stated, 'This is definitely an outrage, you cannot allow these right-wingers to stifle freedom of expression.A The truth that we mostly accept these men causes it to be almost more essential for all of us to express something. You need to allow individuals to tell their tales." Contact Mike Thielman at mike.thielman@variety.com