A pro-police rally beginning at Crocheron Park in Bayside, Queens got off to a tense start on Sunday afternoon before the “Back the Blue” protestors marched through Queens.
Members of the group supporting NYPD amidst the ongoing protests following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis PD custody in late-May clashed with members of the Black Lives Matter movement as the rally began to take shape at Crocheron Park.
With a fence separating the two groups, protestors from both parties traded verbal jabs in support of their conflicting ideologies:
#BlackLivesMatter #protesters clash with #BackTheBlue protesters at #CrocheronPark in #Bayside pic.twitter.com/gXedYR6cqh
— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) July 12, 2020
It wasn’t long after that the two groups clashed elsewhere with nothing in their way.
The pro-police group brandishing altered American flags with the “thin blue line” symbolizing that cops are what is keeping the United States from descending into chaos along with “Trump 2020” signs met BLM protestors while members of the NYPD attempted to ease tensions.
It included BLM protestors claiming that a pro-police rallyer assaulted a BLM supporter (WARNING: NSFW LANGUAGE, GESTURES):
#BacktheBlue protesters chant #NYPD as they standoff with #BlackLivesMatter protesters at #CrocheronPark in #Bayside #Queens #news pic.twitter.com/QibcDvaQbw
— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) July 12, 2020
As crowds grew more restless, police reinforcements were called in to separate the protestors — though the animosity did not fade.
Black Lives Matter protestors put their hands in the air when additional NYPD officers reported to the scene and changed “hands up, don’t shoot.” The two groups of protesters then traded chants of “NYPD” and “Black Lives Matter” until the pro-police rally was given the green light to begin marching.
Reporting from #CrocheronPark #BlackLivesMatter protest reinforcements arrived to counter #BlueLivesMatters march in #Bayside #Queens #news pic.twitter.com/rSEgndpJWK
— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) July 12, 2020
Down the streets of Bayside the rally moved with a police escort to voice their support of their protectors. However, a large number of marchers were seen not wearing masks and not practicing safe social distancing protocols as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spike in a majority of states outside New York.
An NYPD officer was seen marching in front of the group’s banner that read “Rally To The Support Of Law Enforcement,” while drinking water and speaking with protesters. While he wore a mask, the two protestors he was nearest to did not:
#BacktheBlue protesters are marching through the streets in #Bayside with flags in the air chanting #NYPD #Queens #news pic.twitter.com/plm6VYtz2q
— Dean_Moses (@Dean_Moses) July 12, 2020
New York has continued to see promising developments regarding the pandemics outbreak despite the rest of the nation seeing such troubling numbers. On Saturday, the state reported that COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped below 800 for the first time since March 18.
Marchers, however, did not stick to their route previously approved by NYPD, opting to head back to Crocheron Park:
Marchers announce they’ll not stick to the NYPD-approved route and will head back to Crocheron Park where the pro-NYPD action is being held pic.twitter.com/hDMGmfetF7
— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) July 12, 2020
They were quickly rejoined by the BLM movement where things re-escalated (WARNING: NSFW LANGUAGE, GESTURES):
The #BlackLivesMatter protesters arrive at Crocheron Park where the Back the Blue protesters were camped out, and things quickly elevate. Though the pro-NYPD action had greater numbers, BLM has taken over the parking lot pic.twitter.com/GZPbmQAcVr
— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) July 12, 2020
Back the Blue demonstrators throw vulgar gestures at #BlackLivesMatter protesters as they exit Crocheron Park in Bayside, Queens. Protesters accused the guy on the motorcycle who is flipping the middle finger of punching a woman pic.twitter.com/SwlwFNwU39
— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) July 12, 2020
Sunday’s demonstration took place just hours after Black Lives Matter protestors marched through the streets of Bayside. This was the second consecutive day of pro-police marches taking place in the city with demonstrations in Queens and Brooklyn on Saturday.
