If you’re going to be perp-walked by cops away from a political protest for demonstrating, it just looks cooler if you’re cuffed.

Even if you aren’t actually cuffed.

The most charitable interpretation here is that she thought the officer was about to slap the cuffs on at any moment so she assumed the position in anticipation.

.@AOC has just been escorted by police away from the Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/F9DOoLq8yJ

— Douglas Blair (@DouglasKBlair) July 19, 2022

The less charitable interpretation is that she’s savvy enough about media to know that most photographs of her with her arms behind her back here, being led away, won’t show that her wrists weren’t actually bound. In other words, this is Ocasio-Cortez pantomiming being treated more harshly by The Man for standing up for her cause than was actually the case.

She holds up a fist in solidarity towards the end of the clip, so she wasn’t pretending too hard.

On the other hand, her hands were once again behind her back as she was led further away from the scene:

Multiple members of Congress, including @AOC, being arrested by Capitol Police for blocking traffic outside the Supreme Court in abortion rights demonstration: pic.twitter.com/fysQN1oBAw

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) July 19, 2022

I wonder if she asked the cops to tear-gas her for a bit of extra “abortion-rights martyr” cred.

The “tell” that she was keen to be perceived as cuffed is that she could have as easily objected to the officer grabbing her by the arm needlessly to lead her away. It would have been on-brand for AOC to complain that the police were being unduly forceful with her. She was going willingly, wasn’t she? They didn’t have to physically steer her.

Given a choice between that and a fake-cuffed perp walk, though, she chose the one that would work better as a photo. She may be terrible on policy but she understands retail politics.

Besides, she wasn’t the only protester there in invisible cuffs while being led away:

House a democrats get arrested on 1st NE for protest in front of Supreme Court that is blocking the road. pic.twitter.com/UkoDzf0hRa

— Siobhan Hughes (@siobhanehughes) July 19, 2022

Maybe it’s just cultural instinct? We’ve all watched a million hours of cop shows. We know what it looks like when the police remove someone forcibly from a location. In that situation, the detainee’s arms are usually behind their back. When Five-0 takes hold of you, maybe that’s just where an American’s arms automatically go.

Either way, an embarrassing day for unpopular New York City progressives. I’ll leave you with this.

It’s clear the people of #NY10 are looking for another option and I respect that. Time for me to leave electoral politics and focus on other ways to serve. I am really grateful for all the people I met, the stories I heard and the many good souls who helped out. Thank you all! pic.twitter.com/gpt6V6WLUf

— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) July 19, 2022

Update: Like I said, she understands retail politics.

Perfect example of why nobody trusts the media. Video clearly shows they were not actually in handcuffs, ABC runs with photos that make it appear as though they were cuffed. So dishonest. https://t.co/ydhrROd7tz

— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) July 19, 2022