NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A Black Lives Matter protest on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan ended with a clash between protesters and police and over two dozen arrests.
The arrests and alleged force used by police drew criticism from Attorney General Letitia James, while NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea defended the NYPD's actions and Mayor Bill de Blasio's response was a bit more muted.
"Once again, we are seeing and hearing accounts of NYPD officers infringing on the rights of New Yorkers," James said in a statement Tuesday. "The images of officers using excessive force against peaceful protesters is alarming and cause for deep concern. Less than a week after I filed a lawsuit against the NYPD over these very exact issues, we saw officers exhibit the same behavior."
Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a Tuesday morning briefing that he's reviewing the arrests of protesters near City Hall, but the "proximity to the seat of government" was a concern in light of the riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Shea said the protests were the "antithesis of what Martin Luther King stood for," citing protesters who threw bottles, destroyed property and called for the death of officers.
The NYPD said protesters sprayed graffiti on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Protesters converged at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn Monday night, then crossed the Brooklyn Bridge to City Hall Park, where they were met by a large number of NYPD officers who chased them down the streets.
Demonstrators blocked traffic, threw bottles and vandalized property, officials said.
Several demonstrators were arrested near Chambers Street and Centre Street, according to police.
28 people were arrested, most charged with blocking the roadway, disorderly conduct, obstructing governmental administration, and resisting arrest, officials later said.
Police added that there were also several incidents of graffiti.
Authorities said 11 officers suffered minor injuries, including one who was hit in the head with the bottle, one of many thrown at police, the NYPD said.