Upper East Side Protesters Say They’ve Faced Harassment, Threats

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Protesters holding nightly demonstrations against police brutality on the Upper East Side say they have been met with rising hostility and threats, including one instance last week in which a protester said she was physically assaulted by a man who fled the scene.

For the past two months, the group, calling itself Upper East Side for Black Lives Matter, has been gathering at Carl Schurz Park, typically drawing at least 100 people — often as many as 400 — to the park, which surrounds the mayor’s residence at Gracie Mansion.

For the most part, the protests have been well-received, composed largely of neighborhood residents who walk a few blocks to the park from their own homes, organizer Patrick Bobilin said. The gatherings, which began in June following the death of George Floyd, often include silent vigils, community forums with guest speakers, and short marches over to the nearby East River Esplanade.

“It’s a self-sustaining community,” Bobilin said. “It’s been a really beautiful thing to see grow.”

But hostility toward protesters has grown in recent weeks, possibly as neighborhood residents who fled during the pandemic make their way back to the city, Bobilin speculated. What began as an occasional derogatory comment yelled from an apartment window has escalated into more brazen confrontations.

Last month, pro-police protesters held their own counter-event at Carl Schurz, clashing verbally with the anti-police group. Bystanders have shouted “All Lives Matter” or “White Lives Matter,” the group’s permanent vigil has been frequently vandalized, and in several instances, Bobilin said drivers have attempted to ram protesters with their cars. (In one such instance, Bobilin was arrested after allegedly smashing a car windshield. Bobilin, who is also running for State Assembly, said his actions were defensive.)

They tried to vandalize the vigil again. The community brought back more signs and helped preserve many of the existing ones. Come join us tonight at 86th/East End for a night of conversation and community action #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/f7U48ZqpBP
— Kevin Knocke (@KevinKnocke) August 12, 2020

In one confrontation last week, footage of which was shared with Patch, a man in a blue baseball cap charged towards Bobilin as the group marched along East End Avenue, eventually backing off while shouting, “Burn, loot, murder.”

In response, the protesters have designated marshals, clad in orange vests and holding airport-style traffic wands, who guide the marchers each night.

Still, on Aug. 17, the group experienced what organizers said was the most serious incident so far: the alleged assault of a protester, Angela Honor.

Honor, a hairdresser from California who is Black, was visiting New York to see clients and attended that night’s protest after being invited by her cousin, Saundrea Coleman, one of the group’s organizers. It was her first venture into the city after completing a mandatory 14-day quarantine, she told Patch.

As the marchers circled the park, they knelt for a moment of silence on the esplanade. They stood and began to march again, but suddenly, Honor recalled, she was hit from behind and thrown to the ground, the impact breaking her wristwatch and bruising her leg and arm.

“I just remember thinking, what happened? Did I run into something?” she recalled.

As she lay on the ground, she saw a man leap over her legs and jog past her, she said. Protest marshals chased after the man but he jogged away without stopping while seemingly raising his middle finger toward the crowd, video shared with Patch shows. The group completed the march, but “with less enthusiasm” after the incident, Honor said.

View this post on Instagram

Please read UES4BLM's Statement on an August 17, 2020 incident. Black Lives Matter. ⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ Image Description in the comments below. ⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ .⁠⠀ #UES4BLM #blacklivesmatter #blmnyc #blacklivesmatternewyork #blacklivesmatternewyorkcity #blackwomenmatter #respectblackwomen #nojusticenopeace #allblacklivesmatter #ues #yorkvillenyc #carlschurzpark #graciemansion #sayhername #sayhisname #saytheirnames #uppereastside #manhattan #newyorkcity⁠⠀
A post shared by UES for Black Lives Matter (@ues4blm) on Aug 25, 2020 at 5:40pm PDT

Last Friday, Honor and Coleman visited the 19th Precinct to file a complaint for assault. An NYPD spokesman told Patch the complaint was on file, but did not say whether it was being investigated.

Nearly two weeks later, Honor said she is still uncertain what the man’s intentions were, but wanted to put the incident on record to serve as a warning for future protesters.

“I don’t know why he would target the march, and why he would target me,” Honor said. “If you disagreed with the march, saying something would’ve been more respectful than to push someone down and run.”

In a statement, City Councilmember Ben Kallos, who represents the Upper East Side, said that "What happened to Angela Honor is not acceptable here or anywhere."

“Thank you to residents who were present who de-escalated the situation and prevented a larger incident from occurring. This cannot and should not happen again, ever. I stand with residents who are protesting, and I condemn any violence directed at peaceful protestors," Kallos said.