Chaos erupted in Washington Sq. Park on Saturday as NYPD officers tried to implement a newly-instated 10 p.m. curfew.
Police in riot gear clashed with scores of parkgoers who stayed within the Greenwich Village area previous deadline.
Not less than 22 folks had been arrested for illegal meeting and violation of park guidelines, in line with regulation enforcement sources. 5 cops had been injured, the sources mentioned.
Video posted on Twitter confirmed officers forming a line and yelling at folks to “transfer again,” as a public handle system warned revelers to voluntarily depart the park or be topic to arrest.
Police may then be seen utilizing bodily drive, together with pushing and grabbing, to separate those that shaped a human chain in defiance of the command.
At one level, cops behind barricades are seen firing an unknown substance at a person who lunged at them and smashed a bottle.
An officer may be seen pointing a taser at folks as they marched the illegal meeting again previous the perimeter of the park, in one other unverified clip posted to Twitter Saturday evening.
Officers may be seen gathering round a suspect who seemed to be handcuffed on the bottom.
One cop was hit was a thrown rubbish can, one other pulled their shoulder whereas making an arrest, one suffered a potential damaged finger, and two officers had been hit with bottles, in line with sources.
Police and metropolis parks division officers instituted the momentary weekend curfew amid complaints of rampant drug use, loud music and enormous gatherings within the middle of the traditionally free-spirited neighborhood. Beforehand, the park’s closing time was midnight.
The NYPD mentioned it didn’t have any particulars on Saturday evening’s clashes or details about the arrests when reached early on Sunday.
