A relaxed confidence infused a new round of street protests in New York and other major cities on Sunday, a day after some of the largest demonstrations since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody unfolded with no major violence.
A relaxed confidence infused a new round of street protests in New York and other major cities on Sunday, a day after some of the largest demonstrations since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody unfolded with no major violence.
The near-festive tone of many of the weekend’s major U. S. rallies stood in sharp contrast to scenes of clashes, looting and vandalism earlier in the week that authorities and activists blamed largely on outside agitators and criminals.
Almost two weeks of U. S. demonstrations also inspired anti-racism marches around the globe, as protesters from Brisbane and Sydney in Australia to London, Paris and other European cities embraced the Black Lives Matter message.
In New York City, at least a half dozen loosely organized groups of protesters marched through midtown Manhattan in bright sunshine on Sunday afternoon carrying handmade signs with slogans including, “Defund the Police, Fund Schools.” One crowd gathered in Bryant Park, behind the New York Public Library, then marched down 42nd Street past Grand Central Terminal to United Nations Headquarters on the East River.
Another group marched toward Times Square but, according to social media posts, were turned aside without incident by police who blocked access to the famous “Crossroads of the World,” best known for the dropping of the crystal ball on New Year’s Eve.
