At least two protesters were arrested and two NYPD officers injured as pro-cop demonstrators and Black Lives Matters supporters faced off in street clashes for the second day in a row.
Dozens of Black Lives Matter protesters clashed with members of a pro-NYPD rally held in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn at approximately 5:30pm local time Sunday.
The BLM counter protest began a mile away on 86th Street but it wasn’t long before the two sides came to blows for the second day in a row as eyewitness footage from the scene shows.
One Blue Lives Matter protester was reportedly detained after striking and shoving a woman to the ground. Disturbing eyewitness video caught some of the violence, with the uploader claiming the woman was “almost knocked out.”
Black Lives Matter supporters were then seen blocking an NYPD van as it attempted to extract the suspect from the scene. Several counter protesters reportedly burned a Blue Lives Matter T-shirt, hat and sign as well as an American flag, while at least one police officer was struck in the face with an egg.
Bonfires were lit on the streets as the Sun went down but protests continued beyond 9pm.
Councilman Justin Brannan said he was “disturbed” by the violence and would be meeting with the local police precinct on Monday.
“The blame falls squarely at the feet of the elected officials and leaders who refused to take responsibility for the vitriol and hatred displayed at yesterday’s protest,” he said.
Meanwhile, Councilman Chaim Deutsch said he was “disgusted” that American flags were being burned at anti-police demonstrations.
“If you hate America enough to burn our flag, feel free to leave,” he said.
There were multiple, sporadic outbreaks of violence across New York City at the weekend, with video purporting to show an NYPD officer placed in a headlock as bystanders cheered.
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