Broadway Bomb skateboarders denied permit, ride anyway

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Thousands of long boarders cruised their way down Broadway Saturday afternoon for the 5th Annual Broadway Bomb where the young and enthusiastic ride from 116th Street to the Bull in Lower Manhattan.

The problem is that they were denied a permit so this mass gathering was illegal.

Police were out to make sure these boarders understood.

A net was set up at Columbus Circle. Cops were ready and dozens were arrested or issued summonses.

24-year-old Tom Pagut recorded video. He says he never made it down to the bull. The event was pretty much quashed on the West Side.

Perhaps the city clamped down hard on the boarders this year because of the recent motorcycle ride that resulted in a horrible beating, injuries, and arrests.

Either way, retired NYPD Officer Nicholas Casale believes the long boarders are a very different crowd and deserve a chance to ride once a year through Manhattan.

Whether you think the city should or shouldn't sanction the event, experts say that these critical mass gatherings come at a considerable cost.

They take a lot of cops off the street, cops who could be patrolling crime.

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