NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Protesters demanding more cuts to the NYPD's budget clashed with officers near their encampment at City Hall on Wednesday morning, hours after the City Council approved a budget that would slash $1 billion from the police.
The protesters had set up barricades illegally near their encampment—dubbed "Occupy City Hall" and the "City Hall Autonomous Zone"—overnight.
NYPD officers in riot gear moved in around dawn to remove the barricades, sparking an intense faceoff with the protesters around sunrise.
Incredibly tense as protesters and cops stand off just around 6 this morning in NY. Fights are ensuing on the ground ... I'm on top of a bus. pic.twitter.com/GVTzFsjFgs
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 1, 2020
Democracy! pic.twitter.com/FQr16tUOdR
— Daniel Moritz-Rabson (@DMoritzRabson) July 1, 2020
At least three people were arrested for disorderly conduct, according to police.
One Twitter user said the NYPD "stormed the camp" as protesters were sleeping and serving breakfast. They said the officers were "full of aggression, looking to agitate."
Tensions had eased by 8 a.m. but some protesters have vowed to camp out near City Hall until their demands are met.
NYPD stormed the camp full of Black & Brown protesters while many where sleeping, serving breakfast and cleaning...full of aggression, looking to agitate. More cops = more violence#OccupyToDefundNYPD #OccupyCityHall #DefundThePolice #DefendBlackLives pic.twitter.com/UPI7HKzXsq
— Celina🌹 #HousingNow #NoNBKPipeline #Wifi4Homeless (@AkofenaBK) July 1, 2020
Protesters say the $1 billion cut from the NYPD in a budget passed by the City Council early Wednesday didn't go far enough.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said the budget deal was about balancing calls to defund the police with concerns about safety from residents.
At his briefing Wednesday morning, the mayor said he respects peaceful protest but that protesters must "get it together." He called graffiti on nearby buildings and the disparagement of officers at the scene "unacceptable" and "inappropriate."
"Look, I believe in peaceful protest. I do not believe in attacking people. I do not believe in attacking police officers," de Blasio said. "A protester who says vile, nasty things to a police officer is degrading their own movement. A protester who writes nasty, violent phrases on a public building is degrading their own movement, especially a public building named after our first African American mayor."
"I mean get it together, people," the mayor continued. "If you want to protest for change, do it in a peaceful, respectful manner. And I really believe that the people of this city respect peaceful protest. They do not respect violence and they do not respect denigration of others."
Asked if he would allow the protest outside City Hall to continue, the mayor said, "Look, we will continue to respect peaceful protest, but we obviously also have to keep the city moving and running. We'll figure out as always how to strike that balance. And I think the bottom line is wherever there is protest, we'll work to make sure it is safe and peaceful."
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