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LIVE UPDATES: Sixth day of George Floyd protests brings thousands to Manhattan

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A marcher at the Foley Square protest on June 2, 2020. Mark Hallum)

BY ROBERT POZARYCKI, EMILY DAVENPORT, MARK HALLUM AND ALEX MITCHELL

Thousands converged upon Manhattan Tuesday for another round of protests seeking justice for the police-involved death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd, and for an end to police brutality nationwide.

The big crowd began their demonstration in Foley Square and is moving across streets in Manhattan. So far, the gathering has been peaceful, with few interactions with the NYPD.

Protesters at the June 2 protest repeated the words of George Floyd after he was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020. (Photo by Mark Hallum)

The midday protest began hours before the 8 p.m. curfew. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced earlier Tuesday that the curfew will remain in place through June 7, as the city struggles to stop the looting and vandalism that have occurred during the protests.

As of 6 p.m., the crowd — estimated to be at least 3,000 — was heading northbound toward Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence, and points west. 

 

Gaiana Joseph, a Haitian resident of Westchester County who was born and raised in Harlem, was out among the crowd distributing 500 sandwiches and snacks for protesters who needed it. She sees the march as an effort to bring about a sense of liberation.

“I’m not necessarily a fighter but I can use my hands for something, and if my part of the revolution is to feed people, then that’s what it is,” Joseph said. “Liberation for people includes black people. Use your talents to free the world.”

As of 7:30 p.m., the protest moved down Broadway into Times Square before heading downtown. The streets have been clearing since the curfew has taken effect, however protests in other parts of Manhattan appear to be unfazed by curfew.

Cops and protesters clashed on Leonard Street between Church Street and West Broadway Tuesday night, minutes after the 8 p.m. curfew was put in place.

NYPD officers in body armor and on bicycles. Cops diverged on protestor on both sides ordering demonstrators to disperse. Once activists had been bottleneck through to West Broadway, NYPD dispersed and the Black Lives Matter marchers cheered, moving on to the next location.

Meanwhile in Brooklyn, a group of about 5,000 protesters rallied around the Barclays Center and are now on the move, heading over to City Hall via the Manhattan Bridge. 

 

As of 8:30 p.m., there have been unconfirmed reports of arrests made in Manhattan after the curfew took place.

Reporters came across one reported looting thus far, of a Verizon Wireless store at Broadway and Canal Street. Protesters condemned the looters and urged them to stop.

 

Things started getting rowdier at about 9:30 p.m., when protesters refusing to obey the curfew began throwing obstacles into the street on Bowery.

 

Moments later, police were observed rushing protesters on Bowery. According to an eyewitness, a female officer wound up being thrown to the ground. That led to a scuffle between cops and protesters, prompting a call for additional officers to respond.

 

There was similar unrest in Brooklyn, where cops were observed chasing a group of protesters at the corner of 4th and Atlantic Avenues, making a few arrests. 

 

Arrests, presumably for breaking the curfew, are being made in large groups at protests across Brooklyn and Manhattan. 

And there was a major standoff underway between a large crowd of protesters and cops at the Manhattan entrance to the Manhattan Bridge.

 

 

Photo by Alex Mitchell
Speaking out at the June 2, 2020 protest in Foley Square. (Photo by Mark Hallum)
Photo by Mark Hallum
Photo by Mark Hallum
Photo by Mark Hallum
Photo by Mark Hallum
Protestors at Foley Square on June 3, 2020 protesting the death of George Floyd. (Photo by Lloyd Mitchell)
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
Protestors at Foley Square protesting the death of George Floyd.
Demonstrators at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan on June 2, 2020. (Photo by Lloyd Mitchell)
Photo by Mark Hallum

 

 

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