New York City: Black Lives Matter Protests

Woman in Hijab with Black Lives Matter Sign

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in Minneapolis after a police officer arrested him for allegedly using counterfeit money and knelt on his neck for almost ten minutes. There was a public revulsion over this incident In NYC, as elsewhere, resulting in demonstrations and marches supporting the Blacks Lives Matter movement.

Greenwich Village – Washington Square

One active protest location was Washington Square in Greenwich Village. This square has been a center of protests in the past including ones denouncing wars (Vietnam, Iraq) and promoting LGBT rights. The BLM protests kept on with the tradition of advocating for social justice.

Washington Square Black Lives Matter Protests

Almost all outside protestors wore masks and fortunately there was no spike in the Covid-19 inflection rate despite not keeping social distancing.

The protests were an accumulation of outrage of police-killings of innocent black individuals or those allegedly involved in minor infractions throughout the U.S. The list includes Eric Gardner in Staten Island, NYC (selling illegal cigarettes), Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky (sleeping in her bed during a “no-knock” police entry), Michael Brown of Ferguson, Missouri (stealing a box of cigars), Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio (pointing a toy gun at police), Walter Scott in North Charleston, South Carolina, (defective light on the car), Stephon Clark in Sacramento, California (suspect in a break-in) and tragically too many more to mention. Many of these were brought to public attention because of the ubiquity of cell phone videos, which opened the eyes of the public to a long history of unjust killings of African-Americans.

Unlike some of the other demonstrations I’ve been to which had festival-like atmospheres, the protests were serious from beginning to end.

The demonstrators were mainly millennials.

Yet there were others, including mothers and daughters…

…and senior citizens, some of whom I guess this wasn’t their first demonstration.

The one thing certain is that this has become a broad based movement.

There were those promoting other social justice causes; sometimes it wasn’t clear what they were.

This was the first time I saw the term “Defund the Police.” I’m sure whoever created this aphorism meant to have others provide services now done by the police, such as health professionals dealing with individuals with mental issues. This makes eminent sense to me, as police cannot be expected to deal with a vast array of societal problems. However, many interpreted this as reducing policing, which I believe relatively few Americans want.

Even though they were the subject of the protests, the NYC police were there. 

Police are integral in keeping public safety and I feel protestors must keep their feelings in mind. Most police want to do the right thing and normally do, often in difficult circumstances. Their training must include more methods to de-escalate potentially volatile situations. Something must be done to reduce unnecessary deaths that devastate families and neighborhoods.

Harlem – Adam Clayton Powell Jr Plaza 

Another demonstration was in Harlem. The composition of the crowd reflected the demographics of the neighborhood.

The march was an exhibition of African American pride.

Some wore clothes and dreadlocks reflecting their Caribbean and African heritage.

Others had a style all of their own, including vibrant dresses…

…colorful headdresses…

…and a more formal look.

I could feel the intensity and seriousness of the protestors.

Notably, protestors felt strongly enough to come on their own.

Times Square

The support for BLM was not a flash in the pan, but a movement. During a celebration for Joe Biden the day he was projected to be the winner of the presidential election, there were BLM activists in the crowd, including Abe Lincoln with a BLM sign…

… and Superwoman with a George Floyd sign. 

While taking the #1 train to Times Square, I met Ziara wearing her BLM T-shirt and holding a blank sign with magic markers, as she was still thinking of what to write.

For me, the most important thing is to remember supporting BLM reforms does not discriminate against anyone. It means literally that black lives matter, not that only black lives matter. Since the first non-native-Americans arrived, our society has been dealing with explosive racial issues and extreme disparities in wealth. As we progress, we must ensure everyone has equal opportunities and those most in need are taken care of.

Ed Hotchkiss
Ed Hotchkiss

My goal is to travel to all the United Nations list of 193 countries of the world. For the rest of my life, I want to see and experience as much of the world as possible, while documenting it in photographs and observations.

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