Days after New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit accusing the NYPD of repeated unlawful practices against demonstrators, more violence reared over the holiday in New York City during a Black Lives Matter demonstration held to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

Over 30 protesters were arrested on Monday at City Hall park, during a day to honor the legacy of Dr. King’s teachings of equity and non violence. Marchers began at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, travelling over the Brooklyn Bridge towards City Hall on Monday evening.

 

 

Not surprisingly, protesters and police authorities held two differing accounts over what took place on Monday night.

“They definitely charged multiple times,” Egypt Staley, 22, of Washington Heights, told the New York Daily News Monday. “Some people were just being grabbed off the sidewalk. Some people were not even facing them.”

“They were really violent. Cops were pushing, shoving folks, pummeling people, tackling them,” said another witness named Helen Guzman, 30.

Demonstrators also accused NYPD of using the tactic kettling, pinning them to one area in order to make arrests easier.

In response to the highly publicized arrests, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea gave a troubling interview with 1010Wins, where he condemned the protesters over injured officers and blamed demonstrators for disrupting the peace. He also accused them of destroying property.

“When you march from Brooklyn over a bridge, you try to shut down the traffic on the bridge. You’re bringing bottles. You’re bringing graffiti. You’re spray painting our city. This is our city. You’re spray painting to burn our city down,” Shea told NY1.

“This isn’t actions that are caused by police officers so that’s a news flash for the AG. This is actions caused by people that want to destroy our way of life and our city and we’re not going to let it happen,” he continued directly referencing the state attorney general’s suit.

James filed a landmark suit against the NYPD last week naming Mayor Bill de Blasio, Shea and NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan as complicit in overseeing the policies and practices which led to unlawful treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters. She is seeking a court approved monitor to help wane the spread of abuse in the department which has routinely gone unchecked for decades.

“On such a day that we’re honoring Martin Luther King, [we have] demonstrations that consist of violence, throwing bottles, breaking property, calling for the death of officers [and] to burn the city down,” Shea said.

“I really can’t think of anything that is more [the] antithesis of what Martin Luther King stood for. I think it’s a disgrace. And it’s time that everyone calls this out.”

“It’s getting to the point where we have to ask how long we are going to allow the greatest city in the world to be strangled by 40 to 50 to 100 people who don’t like our way of life?” Shea said.

Shea’s lashing out confirms what many already knew regarding the way Black Lives Matter demonstrations are attacked in America. Juxtaposed to the violence which took place earlier this month at the Capitol where white supremacists brazenly walked into the building with intent to do irreparable harm. While Shea named that 10 officers were injured during the demonstration, there are countless protesters who suffered mental and physical anguish at the hands of the police, not counting the 30 people arrested on Monday.

SEE ALSO:

‘Concerning And Unlawful Practices’: Letitia James Sues NYPD In Landmark Suit Over Handling Of Black Lives Matter Protests

Capitol Police Fallout Puts Spotlight On White Supremacists Infiltrating Law Enforcement And Military

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