Police arrested several Black Lives Matter protesters who gathered outside of the high-end Met Gala in New York City on Monday night.
A large crowd gathered outside of Fifth Avenue, where the Met Gala was held, in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Police began arresting protesters shortly after 6 p.m., according to the New York Times. A police spokesperson told the Times that the arrests were mostly for minor offenses and that only “a handful” of people were arrested.
Photos posted to Twitter show several people being detained and arrested. The official Socialist Party of Ireland’s Twitter account said that Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a self-proclaimed socialist, should have been outside with the protesters rather than attending the event. (RELATED: Ocasio-Cortez Touts ‘Working Class’ Background During Vogue Interview At Lavish Met Gala)
AOC should have been outside with them.
— Socialist Party (@SocialistParty) September 14, 2021
A video posted by The Sun showed police telling the large crowd of protesters to clear the roadways. Later, the announcement informed people that they would be arrested for disorderly conduct because they refused to leave the roadway.
Arrests made as huge BLM protest erupts outside the Met Gala pic.twitter.com/3QJ6FzBG7w
— The Sun (@TheSun) September 14, 2021
Another video posted on social media showed police officers walking several people away from the protest with their hands tied behind their backs.
they just arrested dozens of peaceful protesters pic.twitter.com/Tu0WjEtos9
— fiaᴴᴸ (@harrymedicine0) September 13, 2021
Ocasio-Cortez attended the lavish event wearing a dress that said “Tax the Rich.” Tickets to the Met Gala reportedly sell for at least $30,000 per ticket.