A protester has been arrested for shoving an NYPD officer to the ground and trying to strangle him with a chain during protests in Lower Manhattan on Thursday night.
Fox News reports the alleged attack occurred near Bond Street and Broadway in the Greenwich Village during the second consecutive night of demonstrations in the area, which led to 18 arrests, police sources said.
The NYPD tweeted out a photo of the chain with the message: “Violence – in any form – is unacceptable. We will be reviewing this incident, and bring any additional perpetrators to justice.”
Tonight, while performing their duties near Bond St & Broadway in Manhattan, an officer was pushed to the ground & had this chain pressed against his throat. The suspect was apprehended & will be charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon & attempted strangulation. pic.twitter.com/QuWAosMAAP
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) November 6, 2020
At the “We Choose Freedom” rally, protestors were seen carrying rainbow and Black Lives Matter flags, marching for transgender rights and chanting things like “all cops are bad.”
However, New York Public Advocate Jumaane Williams who made an appearance at another Lower Manhattan protest on Thursday said he was met with “aggressive behavior” from the New York Police Department.
Video posted to Twitter by Wall Street Journal reporter Katie Honan shows officers using their bicycles to push Williams back.
City lawmakers condemned the tense encounter.
“Our Public Advocate @JumaaneWilliams has a long history of going to protests specifically to join with New Yorkers while de-escalating tensions. There’s no sense in this, @NYCMayor. Where are you?,” state Sen. Brad Hoylman tweeted.
State Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou added: “Pushing @JumaaneWilliams our public advocate?! This is not appropriate! What is going on right now?!”