Protesters flood NYC to rally against death of George Floyd
Hundreds of protesters flooded Manhattan’s Foley Square Friday afternoon — as the outrage over George Floyd in Minnesota extended to the Big Apple for the second day in a row.
At least three protestors were taken into custody after wrestling with police, according to videos and photos from the scene. One man can be seen hitting a cop’s hat off before being cuffed.
It was unclear how many people were arrested as of Friday afternoon.
“We have to step up to the plate people… we have to stand up,” Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Gardner, said at the rally. “I do not condone violence but I understand it.”
The protest started at 4 p.m. and was hosted by Justice League NYC. After Foley Square, the rally was expected to march to Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance’s office to call on the DA to charge Amy Cooper, who called the cops on a black man in Central Park.
“My name is Jumaane Williams and I am not OK,” the city’s Public Advocate said at the protest. “I am a proponent of non-violence… but sometimes you have to afflict the comfortable.”
Williams called on New York City residents to address local issues as well, including 50A — the state law that shields personnel records of law enforcement from release.
The NYPD arrested 72 people on Thursday when they marched in Lower Manhattan over the police-involved death of George Floyd.
