Mayor Defends NYPD Actions Following Controversial Video of Pro-Palestinian Protest
NEW YORK — In reaction to a pro-Palestinian street rally in Brooklyn over the weekend, New York City Mayor Eric Adams justified the police department’s actions, referring to a video of cops repeatedly beating men who were lying prone on the ground as an “isolated incident.”
Adams stated, “Look at that entire incident,” during the local cable news channel NY1’s “Mornings on 1” program.
He expressed his displeasure that demonstrators who marched through the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn on Saturday had obstructed traffic, spat at law enforcement, and even climbed atop a moving city bus. “I commend the Police Department for their handling of a disorderly crowd.”
“People want to focus on that one, unique occurrence that we’re looking into. Adams continued, “They have to consider the entirety of what transpired in that bedroom community.
Independent journalists and witnesses captured video showing police officers stopping a march in the street, pushing participants to the sidewalk, and grabbing individuals in the mob and dragging them to the pavement. At least three protestors are seen being violently punched by officers while they are pinned to the ground in different episodes.
An officer wearing a white shirt is shown striking a demonstrator while gripping his throat in a video that was captured by photographer Peter Hambrecht and uploaded to X. According to Hambrecht, the arrests happened after the police ordered the throng to disperse.
In a text message to The Associated Press, Hambrecht said, “They were aware they might get arrested, but many times people use that to justify the beating, which is obviously ridiculous.”
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A man was pinned to the ground and an officer was shown on independent journalist Katie Smith’s tape recording punching him at least five times with a closed fist.
Police stated at least 41 persons have been taken into custody.
Subsequently, the NYPD released footage of demonstrators misbehaving, including hurling empty water bottles at police, dousing them in liquid, and setting off smoke bombs and flares. Additionally, it featured a single demonstrator waving a Palestinian flag while perched on a moving transit bus.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry stated in a statement on X that “we will not accept the narrative that persons arrested were victims, nor are we going to allow illegal behavior.”
After having to pay out at least $35 million to resolve allegations of police misconduct during the massive protests against racial inequality following the 2020 death of George Floyd, the NYPD decided to alter its approach to public protests last summer.
The department was forced by the court deal to send fewer officers to the majority of protests. Additionally, it mandated that police permit the majority of protests to occur on public streets, even if they momentarily impede traffic, provided that they are peaceful and do not pose a serious risk of causing significant property damage.
Under the settlement, authorities are still able to intervene and reroute protest marches to keep them from obstructing traffic on bridges, tunnels, or public spaces like police precincts and hospitals. However, the written agreement states that ending protests and ordering a crowd to disperse is not justified simply because certain members of the mob have participated in unlawful conduct.
According to Justin Brannan, a member of the City Council who represents Bay Ridge, the protest that the police broke up was part of an annual event in the area protesting the expulsion of Palestinians after Israel was established in 1948.
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According to Brannan’s post on X, “the largest Palestinian community in NYC is located in Bay Ridge.” “For the previous ten years, there has been an annual Nakba Day demonstration here without any incidents. I didn’t witness any proof of protestor behavior today that would have called for the NYPD to react so harshly.
Executive Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union Donna Lieberman denounced the arrests and claimed that the police were using more force against protestors.
Lieberman cited the NYPD unit that is frequently called to protests and stated, “The aggressive escalation by the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group yesterday in Bay Ridge was a violation of New Yorkers’ right to speak out and risks chilling political expression.”