Protests fill New York streets as a curfew is imposed
Demonstrations against racism and police violence swept the city for days, prompting the first curfew in decades.
Tens of thousands of New Yorkers marched through the streets for days this week in protest against racism and police brutality, part of a nationwide movement sparked by the death of George Floyd, prompting city officials to impose the first curfew in decades.
The demonstrations, overwhelmingly peaceful, filled avenues across Manhattan, Brooklyn and the other boroughs, with crowds chanting Floyd's name and calling for an overhaul of policing. Marchers crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, gathered at Barclays Center and converged on the streets near City Hall.
Some nights were marred by clashes, looting and a heavy police response, and images of damaged storefronts in SoHo and Midtown drew national attention. Mayor de Blasio imposed a curfew, the first in the city since 1943, in an effort to curb the unrest, extending it over several nights.
The curfew itself became a flashpoint, with critics accusing the police of aggressive tactics against peaceful demonstrators, and the mayor faced criticism from many directions over his handling of the crisis.
The protests, unfolding even as the city battled the pandemic, became a sustained movement that reshaped debates over policing, the NYPD's budget and racial justice in New York. For many, the sight of vast, diverse crowds marching through the heart of the city marked a turning point in a summer of reckoning.