FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Protesters calling for the "defunding" of police unions that "protect killer cops" chained themselves inside the building of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association headquarters Wednesday morning.
Several dozen protesters marched into 125 Broad St., home of the PBA, the NYPD's largest union at about 9 a.m. this morning, chanting, among other things, "Stop murdering us."
A few participants in the protest, organized by the Black Youth Project 100 and Million Hoodies for Justice, chained themselves to gates at the security turnstiles for building, while others sat down, blocking entryways.
The Patrolman's Benevolent Association enables cops to get away with murdering us #freedomnow #shutitdown pic.twitter.com/Ks92fCuFNq
— 4C (@KarlRodrigue) July 20, 2016
"The police are trying to manipulate the conversation," said Rahel Teka, the organizing co-chair of BYP 100, in a statement. "We must divest from this institutions that do not value us and invest in Black communities."
Ten protesters were arrested, according to the NYPD, after several had to have their chains cut from the security gates. Charges were not immediately available, the NYPD said.
The protesters were calling for the firing of Wayne Isaacs, the NYPD officer who shot and killed unarmed driver Delrawn Small-Dempsey during an apparent road-rage incident while Isaacs was off-duty, along with holding all police officers accountable for their actions.
We demand accountability from police. #FundBlackFutures #FreedomNow pic.twitter.com/NnqXWtbTyq
— 4C (@KarlRodrigue) July 20, 2016
Cut the chains. @BYP_100 still holds down. pic.twitter.com/GrtmbzvNAK
— Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio) July 20, 2016
Protests continued outside the building, where protesters carried signs including "PBA Protects Killer Cops" and "Fund Black Futures."
We have a duty to love and protect each other. Defund the police and #fundblackfutures pic.twitter.com/SR6NZfBVu5
— 4C (@KarlRodrigue) July 20, 2016
PBA President Pat Lynch said in a statement that the protest was "a display of misdirected and misinformed anger that should have been pointed at city hall.'"
"Police officers are being shot at; that's not 'dialog,' it's violence," he said. "We need our elected leaders to step up and say unequivocally that violent and illegal behavior will not be tolerated, and to support police officers, period."
According to a tweet from the the NYCLU's deputy advocacy director, Ruthie Epstein, at least 50 NYCLU and ACLU staff "stood in solidarity" with the protesters Wednesday morning.
NYPD arrest @BYP_100 protester in lobby of PBA building. At least 50 @aclu @NYCLU staff standing in solidarity pic.twitter.com/C7uellcEYx
— ruthie epstein (@carla_ruth) July 20, 2016
A similar protest took place in Washington, D.C., this morning, as people supporting the Black Lives Matter movement gathered outside of the Fraternal Order of Police, an advocacy group that supports law enforcement agencies.
