RAGE AT NYPD
Rogue protesters call for ‘dead cops,’ bash officers
A MASSIVE MANHATTAN march against po--lice brutality turned ugly as night fell Saturday, y, with protesters assaulting cops, bashing in a patrol l car window and calling for the deaths of NYPD of--ficers.
Roughly 30,000 people fuming over the Eric Garner case flooded Sixth Ave. in a mostly peaceful afterno on demonstration.
But tempers rose and violence flared after sunset. A breakaway group of protesters clashed with cops on the Brooklyn Bridge at about 7:15 p.m., after some demonstrators hurled orange cones and other construction material on to the roadway.
Two NYPD lieutenants were assaulted when n they tried to stop a man from throwing a garbage can onto officers below, police said. The demonstrators forced the officers to the ground, punched and kicked them, and tried to swipe their radios and tearaway their jackets, police said. The assailants fled after the beat down. Amid the fracas, the protester who was throwing the garbage can escaped. But he left behind a bag containing three hammers and a black mask.
One of the lieutenants suffered a broken nose. Bothwere taken to an undisclosed hospital.
Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence & Counter-Terrorism John Miller said the violent demonstrators representa “small clique” that “deliberately seeks out violence and disorder.”
“These individuals are not interested in lawful, orderly protest,” Miller said. “They have their own agenda and part of that agenda that has been demonstrated is to create physical violent conflicts.”
The attack on cops drew are buke from Chief of Department James O’Neill.
“Overthe past few weeks we have gone to great lengths to ensure, even facilitate, people’s ability to protest,” O’Neill said. “All during this time, our officers have shown extraordinary restraint and patience in the face of verbal abuse and much more. ... But after tonight’s event, after our cops are assaulted, this is where we have to draw the line. I want to be clear that these assaults do not come with the territory.”
In another incident, a splinter group of protesters on Madison Ave. near E. 28th St. surrounded two traffic agents in their car and shattered the rear windshield.
A group of demonstrators was also videotaped march--ing through Murray Hill l chanting, “What do we want? ? Dead Cops! When do we want t it? Now!”
The unrest resulted in only one arrest—a person busted onn the Brooklyn Bridge on disorderly conduct charges.
The scattered violence prompted a late-night statement from Mayor de Blasio, who said the the Brooklyn Bridge assault “marks an ugly and unacceptable departure from the demonstrations thus far.”
“Let us be clear: there is no place whatsoever for violence of any kind, whether against the police or against our fellow citizens, in New York City,” de Blasio added.
The “Millions March” rally got off to a loud but peaceful start as thousands streamed out of Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village around 2 p.m. Marchers paraded up Sixth Ave. through Midtown and wound back south toward NYPD headquarters.
“I’m here mainly to see the system change,” said Milton Sipp, 52, a Bronx teacher. “The grand jury system, the DA’s office. They’re too close to thepolice.”
Before swarming the Brooklyn Bridge, several protesters stared down cops in riot gear at 1 Police Plaza.
In a statement released prior to the march, organizers called for the firing of Daniel Pantaleo, the cop who a Staten Island grand jury voted against indicting 10 days ago in Garner’s July 17 death.
Marcher Kevin Lassiter, 17, of Harlem, said that as a black teenager, he felt compelled to join because he had been stopped by the police for nothing more than riding his bike.
“People of color are being stopped and taken advantage of by the police,” he said. “I’m concerned that police will take advantage of me if I don’t do anything to stop it.”