WBAI broke this ironic story on Sunday after the parade, now the NYTimes has a more comprehensive version today. Police made sweeping arrests, 208 in all, during the Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday, charging 132 with parading without a permit. The target of most of the arrests were alleged members of the Latin Kings, a group classified by the police as a gang.

No illegal activity had taken place it seems at the time of the arrests for "unlawful assembly". Police gave no reason for the arrests other than that charge, and police said "the Latin King members had been identified in part by their colors, gold and black." Police also said they had intelligence (gafaw) that "suggested" that "gang members" were going to try to march in the parade in defiance of parade organizers, who did not want them participating. But the arrests it seems were made before any such attempt became a reality.

According to the NYTmes, at least 10 people who are not alleged gang members were caught up in the sweeps and spent the night in jail. A 55 year old man, who it seems is most certainly not a gang member was tackled by police as they arrested him.