Beginning at 1 p.m. on June 2 — a beautiful Tuesday afternoon — thousands of protesters marched peacefully through the streets of New York, repeating George Floyd’s name and calling for justice. One demonstration began at Foley Square, in the shadow of One Police Plaza and the Federal Court house, where New Yorkers of all ages and races knelt as one to demand an end to police abuse.
Thousands left the square and made their way through the canyons of lower Manhattan to Washington Square Park, and eventually to Bryant Park, where they listened to remarks from the head of Black Lives Matter Greater New York. On the way, they were treated by cheers and horn honks in support of their chants. On Broadway, which the night before had seen extensive looting, a construction worker who was boarding up a building used a piece of wood to beat a chorus of support for the marchers.
The crowd ended up around the corner from Trump Tower on 5th Ave. — which police officers had blocked off — before dispersing just before the city’s 8 p.m. curfew went into effect.
