NYPD busts stragglers, vows to enforce curfew, riling marchers

The curfew restricting city protesters outraged by the police killing of George Floyd is now for real, a top NYPD cop vowed Wednesday.

After several days marred by looting and conflicts with cops, NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan said Wednesday evening that an 8 p.m. curfew will be more strictly enforced going forward.

“You can come back early tomorrow if you want to,” Monahan said. “But when eight o’clock comes, please go home.”

He spoke at Third Ave. and E. 50th St., where dozens of protesters were arrested. The handcuffing spree was preceded by a scuffle with a cop, who was knocked off a bicycle.

That prompted cops to aggressively push people in the pouring rain, yelling “get the f—out!”

But overall the night was relatively calm compared with prior evenings of unchecked looting, which prompted Gov.

Cuomo to call the NYPD “not effective.” The curfew, which was imposed by Mayor de Blasio and Cuomo on Monday, was not strictly enforced those nights.

Monahan said a focus on agitators coming into the city to cause trouble produced results. There had been no looting so far, he said.

“We’re getting rid of the people who are causing mayhem in the city,” he said.

At Cadman Plaza in downtown Brooklyn, around eight protesters were arrested after a cop suffered a minor injury, witnesses and sources said. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who was at the scene, was outraged.

“The only difference between de Blasio and [President] Trump is a matter of degree. I’m waiting for the rubber bullets,” he said. Bicycles apparently abandoned by protesters littered the street.

Earlier in the day, thousands of protesters peacefully marched around the city, vowing new charges against former Minneapolis police officers for the killing of Floyd weren’t enough to keep them off the streets.

A crowd of at least 2,000 protesters erupted in cheers in Washington Square Park as they learned former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin had been slapped with upgraded charges of second-degree murder for the unarmed black man’s agonizing death. Three of Chauvin’s fellow ex-cops, who failed to intervene, were also charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

“I think it’s great, but more needs to happen. This isn’t enough. That’s why we’re still out here,” said Isaiah Sparks, 28.

“This is way bigger than George Floyd. This is about the next guy who’s going to get killed. This is about the guys who got killed before him.”

Many New Yorkers expressed disgust with the curfew.

“The curfew is completely illegal. Completely unconstitutional. Look, looting is crime. But you don’t need a curfew to establish that as criminal. Curfews make walking down the street illegal! They make our rights crimes,” said Edwin Ackerman, a professor of sociology at Syracuse University who lives GOTTA GO HOME AT 8!