Over the weekend and into Monday morning, while covering demonstrations against police brutality, NY1’s reporters witnessed an unprecedented amount of rage at police and respect for humanity, frustration with law enforcement and hope for a more just America. Below, three of our journalists recount what it was like reporting on the frontlines in a city on edge.
Michael Herzenberg, Field Reporter, Covering Barclays Center Protests
The undercurrent of anger at Sunday’s George Floyd protest outside of Barclays Center turned into waves of aggression at night.
During the day, more than a thousand people chanted “black lives matter” and “I can’t breath” as they waited for the next speakers on a bullhorn to recount their own stories of being victimized by racial profiling and police brutality.
Those chants were often directed at the uniformed officers lining the front of Barclays Center, separated by barricades from the protesters.
(AP Photo/Kevin Hagen)
Watching George Floyd’s death drove people to ignore shelter-in-place orders and to leave their homes.
It was painful to watch, many said, with one woman acknowledging how the pandemic left her without family and friends to meet with in-person and commiserate about the killing. The protest, she said, provided her with a group of like-minded people with whom she could vent her frustrations.
Most, though, said the only way to get justice for George Floyd is to hold massive demonstrations and demand it.
One demonstrator I spoke with, seething with rage, said they wanted all the officers involved charged in his death so they “rot in jail … get tortured ... and hang from a tree.”
Many others said they want change and an end to systemic racism in police departments across the country.
Black, white, Asian and Latino people made up the diverse crowds that grew exponentially when several thousand more people arrived before 7 P.M. at the Barclays Center. Everyone NY1 spoke with said they were from the five boroughs and they frequently named their individual neighborhoods.
Shortly after 7 P.M., the group marched east on Atlantic Avenue; no one we spoke with knew where they were going, but a couple of them made it clear to this reporter that it didn’t matter: the message is the destination after all, “no more killings of black men by police officers.”
About 20 minutes later, another group, this one made up of a couple of hundred marchers, arrived at Barclays Center. This group was also diverse.
When I asked where they were coming from, a woman responded "from here” with attitude, as if I was implying they were from out of town (I just wanted to know where they were last — Prospect Park was the answer). This was not the first time someone directed anger at this reporter that day for asking a question.
Earlier, I asked a man what he thought of the protests turning violent at night. “That’s a dumb question, don’t ask like I’m stupid,” he said. “What did you think when you saw the video of George Floyd being killed and how would you feel if that was your mom or dad or brother or sister.”
When I asked others about the violence, the taunting of police and the looting, the responses were as diverse as the demonstrators: from “unacceptable" and "counterproductive” to "it’s the cops’ fault” and "they’re the violent ones."
As for the man who got mad when I asked about the violence at night, eventually, when I kept pressing him, he responded, “They’re lucky we’re just looting."
Ron Lee, Field Reporter, Covering Protests in Fort Greene, Washingon Square Park, and Foley Square.
In my 14 years as a reporter, I have never experienced anything like what I have seen first hand over the past few days. I was tempted to say nights, but days is more accurate.
The peaceful protests that I observed in Foley Square Friday afternoon and in Union Square Saturday and Sunday afternoon allowed demonstrators who are angered by the death of George Floyd to come together to push for change by protesting peacefully.
It was beautiful and encouraging to see protesters from different backgrounds and of all ages. As they chanted “No Justice, No Peace,” I could feel them coming together as a unified voice. I sensed their urgency. I felt their passion. They sincerely wanted to bring positive change in the fight against racism.
As the days turned into nights, however, we were on hand to witness some horrific sights. As we arrived at Fort Greene Park on Friday night, it wasn’t clear to us if the crowd that had started to stir up trouble included anyone who had protested peacefully earlier in the day. It didn’t seem possible. The protesters who I had spoken to and observed earlier never called for violence.
What I can say is the scene at Fort Greene Park on Friday night became chaotic. We tried to stay safe by keeping our distance, using the zoom function on my cell phone to record closer video. We were on hand as several protesters antagonized police. I witnessed one protester use what looked like a skateboard to bash the back window of an occupied police van. I saw a police van being shaken by the crowd before it was lit on fire. I saw police officers get struck by water bottles.
I didn’t know what to expect on Saturday, but following the peaceful protests in Union Square in the afternoon, the situation eventually got more heated. As new groups arrived in the area, it wasn’t clear where these groups had come from, if they had been part of peaceful protests earlier or not. Crowds eventually started to block traffic by East 14th Street and Broadway, not allowing buses or other vehicles to pass. Some sat down in a peaceful demonstrations. Others were vocal, getting close to police officers and yelling at them.
As the crowd dispersed right before it got dark out, some went west on East 14th towards Fifth Avenue. Others went onto East 15th Street between Union Square West and Fifth Avenue.
We prepared to go live when we suddenly heard a huge commotion on East 15th Street just east of Union Square West. A police van had been vandalized halfway down the street. One young man described what he had seen and told our viewers that he was protesting to seek justice for the death of George Floyd.
Later in the evening, another wave of protesters arrived in Union Square. Even though we tried to keep a safe distance from big crowds, when some protesters started to run towards us, running for their lives, it caused us to do the same, not knowing what had just transpired.
When I turned around, a police vehicle was on fire on East 13th Street, right by the Regal Cinemas. There was also a vehicle on fire in the distance between University Place and 5th Avenue. I saw glass on the sidewalk by Santander bank, which had been vandalized. I saw obstacles placed in the street so that fire crews could not respond to one of the vehicle fires. I saw police officer push a man.
It has been difficult to be a field reporter over the past few days. After two days covering peaceful protests followed by nighttime violence, we became hopeful that the situation would not get out of control Sunday night. It wasn’t until around 9:30 P.M. Sunday that we noticed lots of police heading towards East 14th Street and Broadway once again.
There were so many pockets where there were large crowds and police activity. In one instance, we saw looters lift the gate to Game Shop, crawl underneath, break into the store, then leave a short while later.
State Senator John Liu happened to see me Sunday night while he was on his bicycle, and he agreed to go live with us to express his extreme disappointment in Mayor de Blasio’s response, also detailing instances that he had witnessed where he believed police used unnecessary force against peaceful protesters.
When we finally called it a night, after dealing with a heckler, I said thank you to all of my field crew members. They each did an outstanding job under tense circumstances. We love what we do, but multiple consecutive days of tense circumstances definitely take their toll. Looking back though, I do not believe the protesters who came in peace should be confused with those who participated in looting and acts of violence. It is sad that the message of the peaceful protests is being overshadowed at times by those who are causing destruction. Looking ahead, I am hopeful that the peaceful protests will continue, that positive change in the fight against racism will come, but that the chaos stops not only in New York City but across the country.
Lindsay Tuchman, Field Reporter, Downtown Manhattan, SOHO, Monday Morning
It's a strange feeling to see something you know so well, look so different than what you're used to. But that's what it felt like seeing SoHo Monday morning, just hours after four days of citywide protests following the death of George Floyd turned the cobblestone streets into the scene of aggressive looting.
“Mornings on 1” started an hour earlier than normal, so I arrived downtown at 4:45am. I knew my experience would be different than my colleagues embedded within the impassioned protestors as night fell the evening before. This early, though, pockets of people were still walking around after a night of high-octane energy, as well as literal fire. Police cars filled with bleary eyed officers also lined Houston and Bowery, blocking every through street into Soho. I'll admit, after two days of being off, but with my eyes glued to the tv, watching with a heavy heart the mix of peaceful protests and violent police interactions unfold, I was slightly nervous what we would find.
We eventually got onto Mercer Street which was littered with empty Dolce & Gabbana shoeboxes. It was a strange site to see. It almost looked like the remnants of a hurricane. We had already gotten used to stores being closed because of COVID19, but the trash and shattered glass felt different than that emptiness.
As we were getting ready to report outside the designer stores, peering into the glass windows of Dolce & Gabbana's shattered entryway, we actually came upon looting happening in broad daylight. Eight men finding a way into a nearby store, running out with giant winter coats, and speeding off on CitiBikes. I was frozen in awe, watching this happen right in front of me and my camera. About five minutes later, a cop car sped down Mercer, presumably to find the looters, practically clipping people heading outside to walk their dog or go on a run. It was surreal.
After three months, we’ve sadly gotten used to covering coronavirus stories. And while it may appear the protests are a different story, they’re not. As Trevor Noah said so eloquently on Instagram TV, it's actually all part of a domino effect, and even a long time coming. So while upon observing this morning I couldn't tell you immediately why those people I saw were looting, or whether their intentions were right or not, I do know none of this happened in a vacuum, and it's our job to report the story.