Protesters affiliated with Black Lives Matter and NYC Shut It Down briefly took over Williamsburg’s busiest intersection last night and marched through the neighborhood while police threatened to arrest them.
Activist Keegan Stephan tweeted photos of protesters blocking the intersection of Bedford Avenue and North 7th Street, and holding up signs that told the story of Larry Jackson, who in 2013 was shot in the back by an Austin, Texas police officer, resulting in the largest legal settlement in the city’s history.
A Periscope stream showed a small group (one participant estimated 18 to 20 protesters) marching down the street, followed by police cars instructing them to get on the sidewalk.
#PeoplesMonday shutting down Bedford & N. 7th St. Williamsburg, reading the facts of #LarryJackson's murder. pic.twitter.com/XYGKiWITcq
— Keegan Stephan (@KeeganNYC) July 28, 2015
There were reports of marchers being shoved by cops and civilians.
“If I die in police custody, I did not kill myself,” one woman yelled, referring to the controversial arrest and jail-cell death of Sandra Bland.
The demonstration, which started in Grand Central Terminal and then took to the subway, was one of the weekly “People’s Monday” actions that started in 2014, after a jury voted against an indictment in the death of Eric Garner.