On Dec. 21, hundreds of New Yorkers packed the narrow streets of downtown Manhattan on Wall Street to denounce
police violence and the recent killing of bridegroom Sean Bell by the NYPD.
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Protesters on Wall Street, Dec. 21. |
The protest was called by the December 12 Movement and supported by dozens of other community organizations, including the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Demonstrators came from every sector of the city, forming a strong militant contingent that lined various blocks around the Chase Plaza complex.
The protest was surrounded by an immense police presence and overlooked by NYPD helicopters in the sky. The protesters attempted various times to march, and were initially held back and caged in by the oppressive police force that surrounded every corner of the protest. Eventually the march succeeded in marching onto Wall Street.
The overwhelming police presence kept the demonstration separate from the rest of the everyday downtown activity. The immediate sidewalks were lined with Wall Street executives, restlessly waiting for the demonstrators to leave the area.
Police in full riot gear stood behind regular police units in anticipation of any breaks in the fortified police line.
From the start, chants of anger from the multinational crowd echoed down the streets: “Our streets,” “Kelly must go,” “Killer Cops Go to Jail,” and “We remember Sean Bell, NYPD go to hell!”
Another protest against police brutality is being planned for the United Nations headquarters in January.
