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Don Lemon Tonight

Protests Spread Over NYPD Chokehold Death; Remembering Tamir Rice; Oliver Stone On Race And Police In America

Aired December 04, 2014 - 23:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Live pictures now, protests in New York City over the chokehold death of Eric Garner and the grand jury not indicting the officer who caused that death. I will get now to the streets of New York, Deborah Feyerick out in the crowds. Deborah had witnessed some arrest moments ago. Deb, what are you seeing in Times Square?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is what happened. You could see all the police that are here in Times Square, They're in 7th Avenue and Broadway on the 42nd street. A number of the demonstrators refused to get out of the street.

Police officers are pulling them to the ground and then handcuffing them individually. We saw about two dozen arrests, people saying that they were just standing there. They were doing nothing.

What they weren't doing is they weren't on the sidewalk. That's what police wanted them. Almost seemed, police were zero tolerance in terms of what we saw last night.

You can see right here. You have police officers. The crowds on the other side, police did disperse a number of the crowds. It was -- a couple of hundred strong and then they were, sort of, keeping people at the corners, refusing to let them go.

So, you ended up, happening, is a lot of the protesters got separated from one another but again, it's got a lot of arrests here in Times Square -- Don.

LEMON: All right, our Deb Feyerick in Times Square. Deb, thank you very much. It's the top of the hour, you're watching CNN tonight. It is 11:00 p.m. on the east coast. This is our live coverage of the protests that are happening all over the country this evening.

You are looking at pictures now from Times Square. In the meantime, we want to go to CNN's, Brooke Baldwin. Brooke, as I understand, you were somewhere either in China Town or near China Town, what's going on where you are, Brooke Baldwin?

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have been walking with these people for six hours. We walked about six miles. We have gone into Brooklyn. We are now back in Manhattan. So ahead of me if you know the lay of the land, this is China Town. But what I think we are about to watch the beginning of some arrests. I am surrounded entirely by New York police, who have given these hundreds of people all night long, the freedom and the openness to walk around, to shut down.

This group shut down the Brooklyn Bridge. We walked into Brooklyn. This group shut down the Manhattan Bridge. We just walked over the Manhattan Bridge. I don't know, Don. Walk with me. We'll watch this together live.

There are all these cardboard coffins, which we saw them lay out in the middle of Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Right over by the Barclay's Center. They all stopped speaking.

We well all just watch this together. They're placing now the coffins in front of themselves as they are seated in the middle of the -- of the --

LEMON: What are they chanting, Brooke?

BALDWIN: Stopping traffic here. Let me try to listen. Here we go. I am going to step away.

LEMON: They're arresting people next to you.

BALDWIN: They're beginning the arrests. They're beginning. This is the first with the plastic handcuffs as you watch this. There is a woman in a green hat. These people in the green hats are lawyers.

This is how it was explained earlier. What they're doing is they're asking each of these individuals, who are being arrested for their names. So they can then go find them, a little later tonight and tomorrow.

But now you can see, this is the first time I have to say. We have been out here six hours. I have not seen a single arrest. Here I am seeing an entire, yes, sir, seeing this entire area.

People in the green hats are lawyers, are they there to monitor, to make sure people's right are not violated. Keep an eye on officers, is that the idea.

BALDWIN: That's exactly right, but most importantly. Excuse me. Walk and talk to you. Most importantly is for once the people -- once the people sort of presume the people would be arrested. Walking around the crowds, going to try to talk to her, they are getting their names so they can help them get out of jail. Excuse me. Excuse me.

Ma'am, may I ask you, we are live on CNN right now. Can you tell me what you are doing?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am a legal observer with the National Lawyers Guild. If you have questions, you can call guild office at --

BALDWIN: You are helping these people who are getting arrested. You are helping them. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am a legal observer. I observe the situation.

BALDWIN: That was the gist of what we got, Don. Here we go.

LEMON: So Brooke, standby. I will keep you with me for a bit here.

So, Brooke Baldwin is in China Town and the protesters sat in the middle of the street and they do the mock demonstration of just laying there. Brooke, you are still on. How many people are with you? How many people are they putting in classic restraints?

BALDWIN: Let me take a look. They're taking away the coffins let me count, at least 20 people. I have to say, mostly, young -- multiple ethnicities, all sitting here. Excuse me. Excuse me.

LEMON: If you will standby, Brooke. We are going to leave your picture up. And we will get right back to Brooke Baldwin. A 12-year- old boy was shot and killed by a police officer just two weeks ago.

The boy is Tamir Rice. He was holding a toy gun. Police say the officer thought it was a real weapon. Now, we have learned that Officer Timothy Lohman resigned two years ago from a different police department because he was about to be fired for what was described as immaturity on the job.

I am joined now by Pastor C.J. Matthews, minister to Tamir Rice's family. Thanks for joining us tonight as you watched this all over the country. You think about what happened with Eric Garner and then we have Tamir, and then we have Ferguson, Missouri. What are your thoughts right now, Pastor?

PASTOR C.J. MATTHEWS, MINISTER OF TAMIR RICE'S FAMILY: How unfortunate. We are having to take time and energy away from things that could be much more productive, to once again critique the relationship between the law enforcement community and the African- American community.

And more specifically in these three cases especially that of young, Tamir Rice, the young 12-year-old child. Once again we find ourselves in similar situations though the connections may not be exact, the fact that it continues to happen repeatedly. As you are seeing, tonight, people are it is time for change.

LEMON: What's your message to police all over the country?

MATTHEWS: I think that if I were sitting with a group of officers as I have in the past, we as a community would love to see officer friendly in our community. And unfortunately, because of the antagonistic relationship between law enforcement and the African- American community, tonight we find ourselves once again, mourning the loss, senselessly of someone who could be alive today.

If he had been arrested and not cited would have made bail probably on a personal bond, will be at home with his family. Now once again we are mourning. In the case of young, Tamir Rice, unfortunately, it was unnecessary, unfortunate. When children cannot play at a rec center, where can they go?

LEMON: Pastor Jay Matthews, thank you so much and as you can understand. I want to spend more time with you because of the breaking news we need to get to this --

MATTHEWS: I understand.

LEMON: Our thoughts are with the family. If we can get you back, we certainly will. Thank you so much. OK?

MATTHEWS: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you. Want to get back to Brooke Baldwin in China Town in Manhattan. Brooke, take it away. What have you got?

BALDWIN: So we just -- we have been walking with this group, Don, for at least six hours. This entire group, several hundred people, men, women, young, old, black, white, Hispanic.

I mean, it has been an incredibly diverse group. Started six hours ago and where we have ended up where this entire group has now stopped has been on the Brooklyn side of the Manhattan Bridge, where they have just come back from Brooklyn, hadn't seen a single arrest all night. We have been walking for six hours.

What happened was there was a chain of about 20 -- primarily young that just sat down and they sat Indian style, held their hands. They started singing. They placed these cardboard coffins in front of them.

And I asked earlier, I said what are the coffins specifically signify and they had each of the different boroughs written on the coffins in different names, different young people, who had been -- they told me shot by police, shot and killed.

So they placed these coffins. I just want to make sure I am out of the way of the police. Take the coffins down as they were singing and one by one, police were telling them to please get up. They wouldn't and they kept singing and they were holding hands.

And so police started to pull out the plastic handcuffs and one by one began to place the handcuffs on their wrists. Pull them off the grounds and place them in the patrol cars and arrest them. So that is what we have seen.

Again, I just want to emphasize all night. It has been quite a sight to see, an entirely peaceful, but finally here at hour six, mile six, we are watching at least 20 people.

LEMON: Brooke, it's happening right behind you. We saw some arrests where Deb was in Times Square and they were placing the plastic restraints on, on protesters as well. So right behind you, there were a lot of police officers and again the folks in the green hats, attorneys, they are watching out.

Getting the names of the protesters and making sure their civil rights are taken care of. But then all of this is going on over your shoulder. Take us to -- as far into the scene as you can.

BALDWIN: Making sure, somebody wants to stand up here. They can do so. Exactly right. So the green hats are for people watching out for those being arrested. Let's be clear. This has been incredibly. I think well-orchestrated and organized.

And also, I think, a lot of these people, I can't tell you for sure. But I think a lot of times when you know you are shutting down major thoroughfares in Manhattan. Some of these people -- some of the people knew full well that probability was out there that they would be arrested and so that I think what's just happened here.

You know, I mean, these people -- for the most part, police had intentionally shutdown a lot of these bridges knowing that the protesters would want to march, but this is when they finally come back from Brooklyn into Manhattan. They went directly into traffic and this is when they sat done and got arrested.

LEMON: Hold the thought. We'll come right back. Short break. Don't go anywhere. Breaking news here on CNN.

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LEMON: Breaking news tonight here on CNN, looking at pictures of New York City. That's Time Square. We want to get to some of the unrest now. We see some arrest happening all over the city. This is, now, let's go downtown to where Brooke Baldwin is. Brooke is in Chinatown. Brooke, we're looking at people in plastic restraints. There were some arrests happening. What's going on?

BALDWIN: Sorry, Officer, yes. That's exactly right. Being asked to step a little bit away from what is happening. I will do exactly that. I am here. We are on the Brooklyn Side of the Manhattan Bridge. This way is China Town. This is Brooklyn. This entire group, it's interesting, I just noticed as we've been walking and marching for six plus hours with a group of hundreds and hundreds of people.

What's happened now after a group of about 20 or 25 people sat in the middle of this Manhattan Bridge, the rest of the group has since left. So they have moved on. You know, this group started in one place earlier tonight and has splintered off.

So now what you are seeing, which is unlike anything I have seen so far tonight is really majority police and in the middle, what you can't see. We are obeying the police. Not getting any closer. What you can't see is still about 10 plus people seated, holding hands, still singing about -- racist police.

That's just what they have been singing about over and over and over. You can still hear them. We aren't going to stop until people are free. This is what they're singing and we're watching. We saw police asking them to get up. We saw them what -- what appeared to be reading them their rights. I can't tell you for sure and then they began placing those, plastic handcuffs on their wrists and are walking each of them out. LEMON: Brooke, I want you to stay there and we are going to, go to going to other folks. Stay there. Keep an eye on that. We'll get back to you. OK.

So I want to bring in now, CNN commentator and legal analyst, Mel Robbins, former NYPD detective, Tom Verni, and former New York police commissioner, Bernard Careck, and CNN political commentator, Cornell Belcher.

OK, guys, so here we go, Tom, as a former cop, what's your reaction now to these protests we're seeing playing out now?

TOM VERNI, FORMER NYPD DETECTIVE: This is not unexpected, Don. We talked about this last night. This is a natural reaction to the verdict, as it was in Ferguson to the verdict. I have to say, you would find it -- it would be hard for us to find a police department that could handle situations like the NYPD.

You can see that these protests have been largely peaceful. There have been arrests, but not mass arrests. No one, to my knowledge has been injured, at least not severely. There has been no property damage that I am aware of.

The police department does a fantastic job when they are faced with -- large crowd like this -- trying to keep them safe. The one thing about the demonstration is that generally as you mentioned yesterday.

Under normal circumstances you would have a permit. We would know how many people marching. We would have enough police to police that event in a safe manner. Here, you are talking about thousands of people just, aimlessly, wandering round the city.

And that's -- that's chaotic in a city like New York City where you have 8 million to 10 million people on any given day to begin with and the amount of congestion of traffic, trying to keep them all safe so they can protest freely.

LEMON: Let's talk about charges here for the protesters. What is it, I don't know, obstruction, what -- what would the charges?

MEL ROBBINS, CNN COMMENTATOR AND LEGAL ANALYST: I was a public defender in New York. What a lot of the viewers may not know is that courts run 24 hours a day in New York so that you can handle arraignments because you have to process people within 24 hours of arrest.

You got to get them in front of a judge. I suspect, Don, most people beg arrested unless they get violent. Most of these folks are going to get what we call a desk arraignment ticket. It basically means the police give you a ticket to come back at a later date to be arraigned in criminal court.

And I would find it shocking if any of these people are charged with anything other than disorderly conduct and unless you have somebody with a long criminal record, Don. Nothing is going to happen to them. They'll probably be dismissed outright by the prosecutor's office. But you know, I have to say, this is a beautiful example of exactly how it's supposed to be. The protesters getting to voice their opinion and the police doing what they're doing.

LEMON: I'm sure most people involved would rather not see any arrests, but that happens. It doesn't appear to be violent. We don't know until we get specifics, but from my vantage point and from what I am hearing from the folks out in the field. It doesn't appear to be any violence here. Cornell Belcher, quite different than what we witnessed in Ferguson?

CORNELL BELCHER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I think, first of all. Look. Kudos, hats off to New York City Police Department and to the mayor's office because we see a leadership here that's just dramatically different from what we saw in other places where the police, you know, the aggression are arguably part of the problem.

So hats off to the guys in blue and the women in blue who are doing an excellent job. But also think, it is important here, I think this is actually -- it's a very sad event that -- that has brought this about.

But I think, there is something larger here, more important as a -- as Americans, look, we got people, regular people, crazily taking to the street because they feel as though our system has done something that is in just.

Our system has not been fair. And, there is nothing more beautiful than, than Americans sort of taking to the street and --

LEMON: Cornell. I have got to get to Bernie. We understand the pictures that we saw from Times Square. Officers were, taking pictures of the crowd. What is happening with the police department, explain to us what's going on at this point?

BERNARD CARECK, FORMER NEW YORK POLICE COMMISSIONER: Basically these people will be taken into custody as one of your other guests said, most likely for disorderly conduct, blocking vehicle traffic --

LEMON: And the guys on top of the vans, why there a taking pictures?

CARECK: They're taking videos and photos to protect staff, their own people and also to protect the -- the protesters as well. This way they can ensure that there is no rough play. No negativity. As everybody has to agree -- the cops are doing their job. They're doing what they're supposed to -- and everything is going pretty smooth.

LEMON: Police are in control?

CARECK: Yes, they're in control. They have -- they have done their job. They'll continue to do it and they'll be fine.

LEMON: All right, stand by. All of my guests, we are going to be right back with our breaking news after this. People are taking to the streets. We are seeing arrests in New York. We will check in on other cities as well. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Our breaking news tonight, protests in the streets of New York City and really all across the country over the chokehold death of Eric Garner. Brooke Baldwin is in Lower Manhattan. She had been witnessing some arrests. We'll get to Brooke now. What's going on, Brooke?

BALDWIN: So what happened in the last couple of seconds, we have the line of two lines of -- two lines of New Pork police officers. If you can see they're continuing to arrest, as we've been watching and showing about nearly two dozen protesters.

Essentially, staged a sit in here, we are on the Brooklyn bound side of the Manhattan Bridge and also what's just happened -- photo- journalists. This massive white bus has just rolled out -- all of these individuals being taken away, mostly young.

Young white woman being arrested, young African-American, I have seen, 20 or so sat down, started singing peacefully, but still they were entirely blocking traffic. New York police asked them to leave. Continue to block traffic. Continue to sing.

They're still, watching -- here comes another one in between the rows of officers arresting them and are loading them in this big white correction bus.

LEMON: Don't want you to go anywhere, Brooke, because I'm going to rely on you to bring information down there. Stand by. We may use your camera as well. I want to get my panel in, my guests here.

I want to go back now to Mel Robbins, Tom Verni, Bernard Careck and Cornell Belcher. So we are seeing here -- what police have planned. New York City police officers, police department deals with the issues all the time and crowds.

CARECK: We have specialized training for the cops. You know, in -- in riot control or peaceful protests. They have demonstrations you and I think you could see that in the way the cops are responding.

LEMON: So Cornell, you know, as, we have been sort of comparing -- what has happened, what we saw play out in Ferguson. What we saw play out here. It is a tale of two cities, isn't it?

BELCHER: It really is and I think the beauty -- Brook was talking about it, the white people and black people, being arrested. The beauty of it is a lot of times -- I'm a political hack as you know. I will go to the politics of it.

A lot of times we look to put people. Sort of tribalize and put people in their corners and make political calculations. I think a lot of the politicians sitting back, trying to figure out, their political calculations here.

And thought that, sort of the downside for weighing into, an issue like this, when you see the mass of young people all across this country, taking to the streets around this, I think a lot of politicians are going to have to recalculate.

Rethink about their political calculations here and perhaps even show some leadership around here. In a way that, that is going to be, hopefully stark and different. It can bring about change.

LEMON: Tom, I watched the mayor yesterday. I watched the mayor today. I interviewed the police commissioner yesterday, listened to him doing press today. These officials are not tone deaf. You know the police commissioner. He is really sort of caught in the middle here, right? They're not tone deaf as to what is going on.

VERNI: I don't see how you could be when you have thousands of people marching through the middle of your city. You have to take notice of that. They are going to have to respond. Look, the pressure is on for them to respond in some way.

You just can't ignore what happened here. Same way you can't in Ferguson. There are reasons why things unfolded the way they did in Ferguson the same way that they unfolded in Staten Island. These are going to have to be reviewed. Training is going to have to be reviewed.

Policy and procedures are going to have to be reviewed. You just can't ignore what happened here and just pretend to move on like nothing happened.

LEMON: Can I ask you something, Bernard Careck, what do police officers wearing here. I think you see batons. We are seeing different. We are not seeing the type of -- combat gear or to the extremes that we saw in Ferguson. And then, beyond that, talk to me about this training, this three-day training that officers are going to get after this.

CARECK: Well, the equipment you see, Don, is basically for protests and we talked about this in the early days of Ferguson especially in that first day when I said that the Ferguson response was really over board. This is what it should have been, this type of response, this type of equipment for those peaceful protests in Ferguson on that first day.

As far as the training that the officers are going to get, that's something that the police commissioner is going to put in place. You know, keep in mind, Don, as -- as Tom could -- would probably agree.

These cops in New York City already get an enormous amount of training, sensitivity training, verbal judo training, things that cops don't get anywhere else in the country so this will be added training to what they already get.

LEMON: Mel, how do you -- how do you train or untrain -- someone, something that you may have learned from your mom or dad or something that you -- you understand where I am going with this?

ROBBINS: Yes, I do. You are talking about. Yes, I think that you, you can teach people through great leadership. One of the things that I am really struck by watching images that you are playing, Don, is notice how relaxed the officers are.

Notice how, this looks more like a parade than it does a protest and this is such a great reminder. I'm so glad to be seeing this happening because we have been seeing people put in buckets.

You're either anti-cop/pro-cop. You are against what happened or for the police. It's not the way it is in this country. We need the police. As we move forward and try to figure this out. I think it is wonderful that we have an example for people are expressing sadness, outrage and anger, which is their constitutional right.

And which is what I feel about this -- this, this travesty that happened in the Eric Garner case, but I think it's so much bigger of in issue than just race or even just brutality here. This is a reminder to people I think.

LEMON: Yes. I'm watching this and listening to -- listen New York City has its problems. We all know that, but just the diversity of New York City when you see the kind of people who are out. It is everybody.

This is where everybody from all over the world comes and we all co- exist together. Again, obviously we have our issues so we would not be on television at 11:31 Eastern Time on a Thursday night.

Deborah Feyerick is in Times Square and find out what's going on now. Deb?

FEYERICK: Yes, hi, Don. You can see some regular police have stepped in for the riot police. It has really been actually very tense and very aggressive here. There is one particular captain that has, that has a zero tolerance policy. He has been telling people to get on the sidewalk.

If they step off halfway, they will be arrested. It's really angered and upset the crowd. They're marching to protest and voice their discontent and anger. Police are being told to step in. Form a barricade and not let anybody off the sidewalk.

As a matter of fact we were also told if we stepped into the street, that we also would be arrested. This is not the tone we saw last night, which was the police sort of taking, sort of the step back. Letting the protesters do what they needed to do.

Now, this is their, the police are making sure that the protesters know where they belong. They don't belong in the street. They belong on the sidewalk and it is actually created much more hostility tonight than we saw last night.

So, but -- right now it is about 11:30 and as you say, Don, usually, it wraps up around midnight that's what we saw last night. We don't know whether that will be the case. But, police are doing their best they can to shut this down.

LEMON: Yes, and it's interesting. Thank you, Deb Feyerick. Deb has been out there all day and I can imagine that she is tired. The difference here as well is that the protesters have been peaceful as well. People are not throwing jars and rocks and other things at police officers.

So it is a different -- definitely a different scene. More on our breaking news when we come back. My guests here on CNN, we will get to all of that.

Also we will talk to Oliver Stone. He will weigh in on the protests and the chokehold death of Eric Garner when we come back.

Also want to talk about Sunday night here on CNN. It's CNN Heroes, all-star tribute. It honors the top ten heroes of 2014. Celebrity presenters join CNN heroes everyday people doing extraordinary things to help change the word.

Here is CNN's Anderson Cooper with the always outspoken and frequently inappropriate Kathy Griffin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You have been trying to get involved with heroes for a long time now.

KATHY GRIFFIN, TV PERSONALITY: First of all you have a lot of nerve of bringing up heroes to me. Talk about a wounded warrior, OK. I have been wanting to present a heroes forever because I think it's a truly amazing award show. I believe I confronted you New Year's eve about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIN: Let's talk about heroes. CNN Heroes is an amazing show.

COOPER: Amazing night.

GRIFFIN: Number one, not only was I not even invited.

COOPER: What do you mean not invited?

GRIFFIN: They told me that they didn't trust me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Did people not know that you were volunteering and going overseas to Afghanistan and Iraq?

GRIFFIN: I guess over at CNN, you are so worried about my potty mouth. They actually said you can't come to the show or present, however, what if we showed you mopping up at a soup kitchen.

COOPER: To make up for past wrongs. I would very much like you to present at CNN Heroes. Something you want to do?

GRIFFIN: You trust me?

COOPER: I absolutely trust you. GRIFFIN: I'm excited to go.

COOPER: Glad you will be there.

GRIFFIN: Do I have to mop the floors?

COOPER: No.

GRIFFIN: Just tell me?

COOPER: No.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Joining me now, a man who has strong opinions about race and injustice in America, Oliver Stone, the award winning director, producer, screenwriter and author of "The Untold History of the United States, Young Readers Edition."

Thank you for joining me. You know in the last week, we have seen protests and rioting in Ferguson, Missouri, New York, and really across the nation after two grand jury decisions not to indict white police officers in the death of black men. Do you think the cases are more about race or America's law enforcement?

OLIVER STONE, AWARD-WINNING DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, SCREENWRITER: I think it is racial. It goes back over many years, but it's also the way we enforce the law. We do militarize the police. Since we have been, our empire involved in wars overseas.

A huge amount of equipment going to the police forces which they don't need to protect the people and to serve the people. On the contrary, they scare the people. They scare me and I am a white man in Los Angeles, but when I drive around, I feel like, you know, this is a militarized police force out there.

LEMON: I want to ask because I was speaking to a young mother before this program. She said she watched what happened in Ferguson. She said, Don, I sat done and watched you. I realized my kids needed to see this. This is history in the making.

Had I been around during the civil rights movement, I would have wanted by parents to sit me in front of the television. What do you make of what is going on here in America? Do you think, obviously progressed in some ways, but I would like to get your take on that.

STONE: Well, the big, the big take is that we are trying to say we are an empire. We are spread all over the world. We are spending fortunes on foreign wars and maintenance of foreign bases and trying to control, police the world, control through regime change, propaganda, news.

We are giving our young people a view of the world with America as the savior of the world, which is what Woodrow Wilson called it. We are not and we can't be. The world is different than us. We have to look at the world through humbler eyes or compassionate eyes.

We have to look at the people of our own country with the same eyes. We have to understand that we are people together. We are not, not fighting in -- for a control of the world. We should be fighting to improve ourselves, to build up our own society and that includes Fergusons of the world.

LEMON: That includes the young people, which I think that the reason you have been doing the series. For the first time since as Grant was president of America is not the leading economic power on the planet. The Chinese economy overtook the United States' economy to become the largest in the world.

We would talk about American exceptionalism. Kids grow up in America. Does that frighten you for the future of America and the future of our children in this country?

STONE: Not at all. No, I mean, economies -- the American dollar is psychologically the strongest currency, the basket that everyone goes to, not everyone, most everyone. What scares me is America's military power. It is enormous. It's ten times larger than China or Russia.

We have ability to terminate life on the planet. We have nuclear capacity to do so. Also through our missions, we have tremendous say in how this world is going. The planet might be ending in a habitable way within the next 100 years.

This is very, very bothersome. We control our future. We control the destiny of the planet by making enemies out of China and Russia, Iran, North Korea, et cetera, we are looking for enemies and taking the concentration that we need now to take care of ourselves.

LEMON: You mentioned Russia several times. You know, just in that last response. On a recent trip to Russia, you met Russian President Vladamir Putin, now you want to make a documentary on him. Why?

STONE: I met Mr. Putin who was very interesting. He gave me half an hour of his time. I want to -- I think there has been a lot of misreporting. You will find there provocations that the United States made in Ukraine that made the Russians react this way.

I am trying. I believe in peace. I believe in freedom. I love my country. I would love the country to be strong, secure, not at the expense of other people.

LEMON: Can I talk to you about Hollywood now, something that is, it's important but a little less heavy. Are you living your directorial dream right now? Have you -- is there something out there that you haven't done?

STONE: I have enjoyed making documentaries at the same time as features. Documentaries are a way of seeing the world, expanding your knowledge. I made them on Castro, as you know, on Chavez, and the seven other presidents now, that took over in Latin America in 2000.

This untold history has been the greatest achievement for me. I have taken all my themes from all the movies and put them into a 12-hour series. I'm so proud of it. Each, each, each of the hours is like a little movie, a big movie. And it says a lot.

I hope children will be looking and reading this. I think adults too, and watching this for -- into the future.

LEMON: I was going to say what about us old guys. I'm thumbing through here and you're right there are lots of pictures --

STONE: You are the guys who can be changed too. A lot of people have read this book. Millions of people have seen it on TV and in DVD. Now the book is important.

LEMON: Yes, thank you, Oliver Stone "The Untold History Of The United States." I really appreciate your time here on CNN. Thanks.

STONE: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: We have much more on our breaking news now, protests in New York City.

Also we are going to have the very latest on Bill Cosby. Gloria Allred represents three of the women accusing Cosby of sexual assault. She is going to join me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We get back to our breaking news on CNN, protests in the streets of New York and across the country over the chokehold death of Eric Garner. I want to get to CNN's Chris Welsh. He is walking the streets of New York City. What's your location and what's going on, Chris?

CHRIS WELSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Don, we are in Lower Manhattan. We really just left one police plaza, where it seemed like things were kind of dying down. We were at Foley Square earlier tonight when that huge rally began. There were easily more than 1,000 people.

That group diverged into two large groups that moved through. One went across the Brooklyn Bridge, came back into the Manhattan side, over the Manhattan Bridge. There was a second group that we followed that meandered through, Lower Manhattan, and the financial district here.

That's -- that's what we -- essentially -- now, it looks like there are police behind us now, Don. I want to show you that. Sorry, they are trying to displace people here.

LEMON: And Chris -- in your shot we were seeing officers. This is obviously coordinated. Chris is walking up from Lower Manhattan. There is a police officer on a bull horn and if you look at the right of your screen, that's Times Square.

They are dispersing the crowd too with a big speaker there. The New York City Police Department is trying to get people off the streets. Our Chris Welsh walking up again. Chris, protesters are out. They're not budging, right?

WELSH: Well, I won't say, it is a smaller group, a couple hundred people here. They're not done for the night. We heard many of them talking that they wanted to continue moving and move up town, going to try to get closer here to get a better view, Don.

LEMON: Chris, as you do that. We are going to -- we are going to step away for a moment. We'll get back to Chris Welsh as he continues to report there. We'll keep our eye on this story. I want to break away for a second here. If something happens we will not miss it.

I want to talk about accusations against Bill Cosby, 20 women have come forward with shocking stories of sexual abuse. Joining me now is civil rights attorney, Gloria Allred.

Gloria, you understand that we may have to break away if something happens as we keep our eye on this. And so, stand by, Gloria. Hold on. We'll get to Gloria in a second. This is arrests happening in Lower Manhattan now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's not resisting! He's not resisting!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just back up.

WELSH: Right now they're asking all of us, protesters, media here, stay on the sidewalk at this point.

LEMON: Again you hear people -- saying we are not resisting arrest. This guy obviously is being arrested.

WELCH: People, a lot of anger. Lot of tension going on right now.

LEMON: OK, Chris, stand by.

WELSH: I imagine people who stayed are some of the more passionate.

LEMON: Keep an eye on it. Gloria Allred represents one of the women involved with one, three of the women I should say involved -- accusing Bill Cosby of abusing them sexually.

So, there are now at least 20 women coming forward accusing Bill Cosby of sexual misconduct? You are representing three of them. Do you think any of these women will be able to have their day in court?

GLORIA ALLRED, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, only if Bill Cosby agrees to waive and give up his statute of limitations defense. In other words say that, even though they're no longer within the time period, for which they could file a lawsuit that he will give up that defense.

And he will invite them to go ahead and file a lawsuit against him. And invite all others so this can be litigated in a court of law, a judge, jury will decide or if he wants it done confidentiality.

LEMON: What are your chances? He hasn't budged? He hasn't said anything. He's been speaking through his representative. What are the odds? ALLRED: Well, actually I am glad that he has not said anything so far or his attorney hasn't said anything so far. I hope they're seriously kidding it because both are very reasonable alternatives. Both are alternatives that have been employed by some people in the past.

I have done that. So for two of my clients, they would be, essentially time barred. But for one who alleges that what happened few her happened when she was 17, she would possibly have a window, an open window of opportunity, to file a lawsuit.

If she can -- meet the requirements of California law, which essentially grants a longer different period of time for persons who can prove that they're victims of child sexual abuse.

LEMON: Gloria?

ALLRED: -- only discover injuries were caused by the abuse within the last three years.

LEMON: Gloria, hate to rush you. We have breaking news. We'll have you back. Thank you so much, OK?

ALLRED: I get. Thank you so much.

LEMON: Today, sat down with five women accusing Bill Cosby. They told me and told my colleague, Alisyn Camerota, in their own words, what they say Cosby did to them and what they want to happen to him. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Do you think he should say something, yes, no, or you don't care?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't care. As long as it is long and painful and I think that -- he never cared what happened to us.

LEMON: Barbara?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We suffered, collectively, hundreds of years of horrible intestinal emotional strife because of what this man put all of us through and the hundreds that haven't come forward yet. I want him to suffer, suffer like we have all suffered all these years. You can ask any of these women. How were your relationships, how were your marriages, jobs, psyches?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How were your dreams?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am having nightmares, waking up, 3:00 in the morning, 4:00 in the morning, having nightmares thinking that things are going to happen.

LEMON: I thought what you said was so profound.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What I want to happen? I want him to get well.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is not going to happen. Not going to happen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know, I am living in a fantasy world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like narcissism. There is no cure. Personality disorders can be modified through maybe 25 years of behavioral therapy. But it is only superficial. They lack personal insight.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it is remarkable, that first of all, we are very, very grateful to be here and to be heard, and to watch the masses finally listening.

LEMON: You are also starting an important conversation. You are breaking boundaries. I really think that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It is so important. As the happy as we are to be here, it is really sad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To keep talking and explaining why, and -- this, this, this, shift in culture and shift in education for younger people teaching what to look out for. As well as embracing the victims in the world who have no voice. I hope that we are creating a new platform for the people. I am not alone and I don't need to be alone any more. It wasn't my fault.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: You can see our special, "THE COSBY SHOW: A LEGEND UNDER FIRE" Monday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. To join the conversation you can engage with us on Twitter using #cosbyunderfire. We are watching protests all across the country when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Welcome back now to our breaking news coverage here on CNN. You're looking at images earlier, video from earlier this evening in Times Square, where some of the protesters went up against police officers. Again, there have been some arrests tonight. We don't have actual numbers but we'll continue to follow that for you.

Thanks for joining us. Our coverage continues now with Errol Barnett and Rosemary Church at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Good night.