This archive report was first published on 4 June 2020.
Protests Continue Amid Curfew ¶
As the citywide curfew fell on New York for a third night, large numbers of protesters defied the requirement that they clear the streets by 8 p.m. The police responded aggressively, making dozens of arrests and using batons and pepper spray to disperse crowds.
Mayor Bill de Blasio defended the police department's actions, saying they were doing an impossible job. 'When people are instructed by the N.Y.P.D., especially after curfew, they must follow those instructions,' he told reporters at a briefing.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo also lent his support for the police, saying they were doing 'an impossible job.' However, some protesters and witnesses disputed the police's actions, describing them as 'disgusting' and 'reprehensible.'
On Thursday, a memorial service for George Floyd is scheduled for at 1 p.m. at Cadman Plaza in Brooklyn. Mr. Floyd's brother, Terrence Floyd, is scheduled to attend.
As of 9:30 p.m., Chief Terence A. Monahan said, no looting had been reported in the city. However, the police's approach appeared to be even more aggressive than the one that officers employed on Tuesday, when they managed to tamp down on the kind of looting and vandalism that broke out in Manhattan and parts of the Bronx on Sunday and Monday.
Not all of the protesters were met with the same show of force. Two large groups marched in largely residential neighborhoods of Brooklyn until about 11 p.m. The police broke up the bigger group soon after that, making several arrests.
