Protesters gathered Tuesday outside of New York City’s City Hall to demand that the city council vote to cut $1 billion from the NYPD budget.
A man showed up in the afternoon wearing a Spider-Man costume to encourage protesters to engage in dialogue with those they disagree with.
If “the 20-somethings, the 30-somethings, even the teenagers, don’t learn how to have a conversation with people, our peers that may think different than us, we ain’t gonna progress as a society,” he told the crowd. “You gotta have discussions, you gotta learn how to have a dialogue … and that’s what this generation has lost.”
Spider-Man arrived at the occupy spot with pizzas and a speech about learning to listen to those who disagree with you: pic.twitter.com/e2LyrisqP5
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) June 30, 2020
He later had a run-in with a Trump supporter who showed up at the protests with a sign that said “all lives matter.” A crowd confronted the man as Spider-Man tried to de-escalate the situation. The Trump supporter was eventually lead away by the police. (RELATED: ‘It’s Definitely A Revolution-Liberation Movement’: Protesters Demand $1 Billion Cut To NYPD Budget)
Spider-Man???? VS. Trump-Man????
Who ya got? pic.twitter.com/8oDXAw5y5g
— Richie????McG???? (@RichieMcGinniss) June 30, 2020
Ahead of the city council vote, which was scheduled for Tuesday night, protesters formed a human barricade in front of City Hall. One protester had a megaphone and repeatedly told the people forming the barricade that if they were afraid, they should “go the fuck home.”
More and more people are quickly arriving. The man with the megaphone is saying to “go the fuck home” if those who have promised to stand against police at the front lines are afraid. pic.twitter.com/rLgyQSBCzy
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 1, 2020
“We are here to protect everyone,” he told the crowd, “and to keep the police out.”
He also said that he wanted to hang a police officer from a tree.
“I wanna put my foot on his fucking neck like he do us,” he said. “I wanna put my foot on his back like he do us. I wanna hang him from a fucking tree like he do us.”
“I wanna put my foot on his fucking neck like he do us. I wanna put my foot on his back like he do us. I wanna hang him from a fucking tree like he do us.”
This was directed at the cops. pic.twitter.com/HSMI4ZQFoe
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 1, 2020
The human barricade continued later into the night when protesters began calling for backup from “white people first.”
A guy just yelled for more people to help with forming a human barricade.
“White people first!” he added. pic.twitter.com/R7z0NSMIm7
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 1, 2020
The protesters appeared to be “ripping down construction material” so in order to expand the zone by blocking off multiple streets.
CURRENTLY: Protesters are ripping down construction materials and building barriers.
Looks like they’re trying to block off multiple streets pic.twitter.com/Cl7m9I2vY3
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 1, 2020
Protesters chanted “NYPD! Suck my dick!” in video captured by Townhall reporter Julio Rosas.
Crowd near NYC’s CHAZ chants: “NYPD! Suck my dick!” pic.twitter.com/ZDwwQAE6e4
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) July 1, 2020
The line of officers changed shifts around midnight with some “visible frustration” displayed.
Police officers in this area just changed shifts. You can see the visible frustration from some of them here: pic.twitter.com/yZIcscDG7s
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) July 1, 2020
Two George Washington monuments were defaced with red paint Monday during the New York protests. City officials removed the paint shortly after, but the statues retained a slight red tint.
Protesters are calling for the city council to vote to cut at least $1 billion from the NYPD’s budget. Calls to defund the police have become somewhat common among activists during the protests over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in Minneapolis Police custody after an officer kneeled on his neck.
The Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously earlier this month to disband the city’s police department.