Brooklyn Protests Continue Despite Curfew, Crackdowns

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — NYPD officers on Thursday rushed and arrested George Floyd protesters in Williamsburg who were out past a much-criticized curfew.

The next day protesters planned to carry on a demonstration in the neighborhood's McCarren Park that butts against the 8 p.m. curfew.

Likewise, Barclays Center has become a rallying point for nightly protests over the killing of George Floyd since a once-peaceful demonstration a week ago descended into violence.

The curfew instituted and perhaps-stubbornly held onto by Mayor Bill de Blasio in the wake of looting hasn't deterred protesters. Many argue that it only risks to provoke clashes between riot gear-donning NYPD officers and protesters who have, in the mayor's words, "overwhelmingly" lived up to their chants of "peaceful protest."

"We have seen again and again that penning people in, imposing unnecessary constraints, leads to escalation," wrote city Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who has criticized the curfew and de Blasio directly. "WHY is it still the go-to tactic, a week in??"

We have seen again and again that penning people in, imposing unnecessary constraints, leads to escalation.

WHY is it still the go-to tactic, a week in?? https://t.co/l6bV8h1TfX

— Jumaane Williams (@JumaaneWilliams) June" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/JumaaneWil... 5, 2020

De Blasio on Friday faced repeated questions from reporters about heavy-handed police tactics to bust up protests past the curfew. He told Gothamist reporter Jake Offenhartz — who documented cops violently arresting Bronx protesters and legal observers as the curfew hit on Thursday — that he believed "that you believe what you're saying" before claiming police had seen flyers that some protesters planned violence. They also arrested people with weapons going to the protest, said police Commissioner Dermot Shea.

Offenhartz documented violence by NYPD, not the protesters.

I felt genuine terror tonight in a way I haven’t since this thing started. Don’t really have words for it right now. But I know it wasn’t the “tremendous restraint” promised by de Blasio, or whatever it is Cuomo imagines his happening here https://t.co/sgFlA2aarA

Another reporter, Ben Verde with Brooklyn Paper, documented a similar scene following a vigil at McCarren Park in Williamsburg. Police suddenly charged the crowd, beating protesters, arresting them and tackling cyclists, he tweeted.

"Crowd was totally peaceful up until this point," he wrote. "Reasoning was a violation of the curfew."

Williams and city Councilman Brad Lander helped defuse a similar situation from happening not far away, according to tweets.

"I’m glad Jumaane and I were there to de-escalate last night," Lander wrote. "But real de-escalation? End the curfew. Stand the NYPD down from aggressive tactics. Protect against looting, of course. But allow space for protest. And start real work to end abusive policing."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who helped institute the original curfew, said such measures help police stop looting.

"It has been better over the past few days," he said. "You look at New York City, with looting, it was on the edge of chaos and now you have a police force in the city that is adequately deployed, you have enough police, they have a better management plan and you have not seen the looting the past couple of days."

De Blasio has said protesters should go home at the curfew but will have leeway if they're "scrupulously peaceful." There will come a time, though, that the NYPD will say "enough is enough," he said.

"So I think in a very imperfect world, that is a clear indication, protest, go home at curfew if you stay out, okay, but do not even think about doing anything violent, and there's a point at which enough is enough and it’s time to go home," he said.

This stance has prompted numerous follow up calls by reporters for clarification, despite de Blasio's claim he has been "clear as a bell."

A George Floyd protest is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. in McCarren Park. The curfew starts at 8 p.m.