New York: Demonstrations over the death of George Floyd continued in New York City on Saturday with thousands taking to the streets and parks to protest police brutality, as the city continued to enforce an 8 pm curfew that has created tensions between protesters and police.
At protests in Manhattan, volunteers handed out snacks, first aid kits and plenty of water bottles on a muggy afternoon. One person carried a sign listing nearby open buildings for those seeking to escape the heat which some soon did when a rainstorm arrived.
Thousands of people crossed the Brooklyn Bridge into lower Manhattan, where other groups numbering in the hundreds to thousands marched or gathered in places like Foley Square, home to state and federal court buildings, and Washington Square Park, in Greenwich Village.
Further uptown, police had erected barriers to all but close off Times Square to vehicle and foot traffic.
As the curfew passed, a large group of protesters walked onto the FDR Drive, the main north-south artery along Manhattan's east side, closely monitored by police, forcing police to temporarily shut down one side of the roadway.
Earlier, Julian Arriola-Hennings said he didn’t expect the movement to slow down anytime soon.
“I’m never surprised by people taking action because inaction, it hurts the soul,” he said as he told protesters at Washington Square Park that they would soon march from there to City Hall.
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“People’s feet get tired, their souls get re-energized for the right purpose.”
One of Saturday's marches was enlivened by a band led by Jon Batiste, bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Local politicians and civil liberties advocates have called for an end to the 8 pm curfew, complaining that it causes needless friction when officers try to enforce it.
