More than two dozen people were arrested Monday night after Black Lives Matter protesters sparred with New York City Police Department officers.
Hundreds of Black Lives Matter demonstrators began to march through Brooklyn around 8:30 p.m. for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and they eventually made their way to Manhattan, according to NBC New York. Twenty-eight protesters were arrested, and at least 10 officers were injured during a violent confrontation near City Hall Park.
One officer, a captain, was reportedly bashed in the helmet with a bottle.
Video of the incident shows NYPD forces, some clad in riot gear, grabbing and pushing demonstrators who yelled expletives. Other footage shows a group of police officers bringing one activist to the ground.
NYPD attacking protesters at City Hall Park pic.twitter.com/BHtH76kyde
— Isabelle Leyva (@isabelle_leyva) January 19, 2021
The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement condemning the department’s conduct.
“Once again, we are seeing and hearing accounts of NYPD officers infringing on the rights of New Yorkers,” she said. “The images of officers using excessive force against peaceful protesters is alarming and cause for deep concern. Less than a week after I filed a lawsuit against the NYPD over these very exact issues, we saw officers exhibit the same behavior.”
“As we laid out in our lawsuit, this is a longstanding pattern that must stop,” James added. “These New Yorkers were marching in the spirit of Dr. King, who taught us that peaceful protest is the most powerful force in the fight for freedom, equality, and justice for all. I will continue to fight to protect these most basic rights.”
James filed a lawsuit against the department last week for “using excessive, brutal, and unlawful force” against “peaceful protesters” in the boroughs since last summer. James’s move followed the release of a 115-page report claiming that law enforcement “contributed to heightened tensions” and violated “the rights of protesters.”
Racial justice demonstrations and riots have persisted in the United States since the death of George Floyd, a black man who died last May after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
