My name is Peter Gorman and I am a captain in the Fire Department. I'm also the President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.
I was on West Street this morning. Rudy Giuliani and Bernard Kerik werenot. I saw much of what happened. Those two saw nothing.
They are lying when they say firefighters attacked the police. The trouble began on West Street, at a corner three or four blocks south of Chambers Street. Approximately 1,500 firefighters were marching peacefully to Ground Zero. Suddenly, and without provocation; a handful of police superior officers (white shirts and gold braid) waded into the line of march and began pulling firefighters out.
Was there struggling and scuffling and some name-calling? Absolutely. The police superior officers were arresting people for no reason.
The Mayor wasn't there and his Police and Fire Commissioner weren't there. Now we have the spectacle of Mayor Giuliani convicting 12 firefighters before they are charged with any crime.
The police provoked all that occurred. It was a peaceful march for a just cause and now the Mayor and his two commissioners are trying to defend their disgusting World Trade Center policies by libeling firefighters and excusing police misconduct by a small group of superior officers.
