NYPD: Nearly 30 Arrested Following Clash With Black Liberation Protesters Near City Hall
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Protesters clashed with police on Monday night in Manhattan.
The NYPD told CBS2's Ali Bauman there were around 30 arrests, some for obstructing traffic. It said 10 officers were injured in the altercation. The department did not have a count on protester injuries.
Things calmed down as the night wore on, but earlier it was an entirely different scene.
A tense standoff turned violent by City Hall after hundreds of Black Liberation protesters marched over the Brooklyn Bridge and were met by police.
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CBS2's cameras were rolling as officers warned the crowd to move out of the street. The protesters did not and officers moved in swiftly, seemingly pushing into the crowd as they began making arrests.
Bicycles and barricades were knocked around in the scuffle and some people were pushed to the ground, while others were dragged away by officers with zip ties.
It all started peacefully enough, as a march from Brooklyn in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Coincidentally, as the scene was all playing out, Mayor Bill de Blasio was being interviewed about police reform and state Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against the NYPD for its treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters over the summer.
"Here, we have 100% commitment to reform," de Blasio told NY1, adding, "and you're going to see something that we've needed in this city for a long time."
The police presence remained heavy throughout the night. The NYPD said one of the injured cops was a captain who was hit in the head with a bottle.
CBS2's Ali Bauman contributed to this report
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