On June 4th, protesters gathered in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx to protest police brutality organized by @takebackthebronx as part of the 4th demonstration of “FTP”. An hour into the protest we were met with police officers kettling, beating and arresting most of the protesters. In the midst of all the brutality, my partner and I were assaulted and arrested. Our phones confiscated and glasses broken. Even if we could see, the badges of the officers were covered.
Police officers indiscriminately started showing signs of aggression well before 8pm. They boxed us in and at 8pm they announced that we had broken curfew but never gave us a chance to disperse. Immediately after they began assaulting, macing, and corralling us into buses to be sent to a Queens Police Department in Kew Gardens.
While my intentions were to document this demonstration I also went to be a part of the community that is in this fight against police brutality and the inequality of our Black community.
We were not violent. We respected our community. We are in our right to protest and speak for our community.
This was a show of force on behalf of the police department.
