Posted 05.30.20
Photo and Words by Joelyn Dalit

The Summer of Revolution

Black Lives Matter Protests in New York City

This photo series includes the third night of protesting in New York City following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. I followed tonight’s protest starting at the entrance of the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn where the situation was already tense. The night was full of walking throughout downtown as the police fought to break up the crowd of protestors spraying mace into the eyes of a few individuals. During which, we walked through the projects rallying support from the neighborhood, followed by a walk past the nearby hospital giving thanks to the medical workers along the way.
Blockades were placed in the road to slow police as the march continued eventually gathering in mass at Barclays Center. As the main leaders of the group held a peaceful display, a few individuals starting pulling people towards the nearby Target. At this moment a majority of the group ran ahead to block the department stores by forming a chain preventing any looting. After a tense stand-off the crowd continued their march reaching Flatbush Avenue where the night’s pivotal speech was given. Immediately afterwards violence erupted as police and demonstrators pushed against one another. The crowd would fall back, only to return with hands stretched chanting “Don’t shoot.” However, this only delayed the inventible push by the police that forced the crowd to flee into different directions leading to a woman being run over by a vehicle. From my observations, I noticed in between streetlights that the attacks by the police were much more aggressive. This eventually became the climax of the night as protesters began to disperse.