Protesters in Astoria take a knee Tuesday (Photo by: @JLa_NYC via Twitter)
June 3, 2020 By Michael Dorgan
A peaceful demonstration took place in Astoria Tuesday as protesters lamented the killing of George Floyd.
Hundreds of people gathered at the intersection of Steinway Street and 30th Avenue at around 1 p.m. to protest Floyd’s death that occurred at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer more than a week earlier.
The protest went off without incident, much like a similar demonstration at Astoria Park Monday evening.
Demonstrators on Tuesday held signs that read “racism is the pandemic,” “black lives matter” and “why are you so afraid of peace?”
They chanted Floyd’s name and that of Breonna Taylor – a black woman who was shot eight times by police officers in Kentucky earlier this year.
There was a visible police force present at the pre-planned event. However, there were no reports of violence or arrests made.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was also seen at the protest handing out COVID-19 protection masks.
.@AOC was also in attendance at the Astoria Protest handing out cards for Lawyers and Medical Assistance. THANK YOU!!! pic.twitter.com/ojPlaIhpHP
— Iffy Kaysar (@iffykaysar) June 2, 2020
The demonstrators– at one poignant moment during the protest–knelt, raised their right hand in the air and stayed silent for almost nine minutes.
The moment of silence represented the length of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck. Floyd was pronounced dead soon after the incident and Chauvin has been charged with Floyd’s murder.
The demonstrators marched on foot northward along Steinway Street, chanting, “no justice, no peace.” Several vehicles passed in the opposite direction to the protestors and honked their horns in support.
Peaceful Protest in my old neighborhood in Astoria, NY. pic.twitter.com/vqeExxYzEy
— Marcela Escobar-Eck ✊? (@SanDiegoLandUse) June 2, 2020
The crowd marched over to Astoria Boulevard and came to a stop outside the 114th Precinct, which is located at the intersection of 35th Street and Astoria Boulevard..
They were met by police in riot gear who were lined up outside the precinct. The protesters paused, held their hands in the air and chanted “don’t shoot, don’t shoot.”
The crowd then dispersed without any violent engagements with the police.
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15 Comments
Since protests are allowed. Small businesses can open up. If not, our government is discriminating against them and there should be lawsuits. For me, I will go on with my life as normal and will not abide by these discriminatory stay at home orders. I’m already going to work and gym as normal, and I hope more locals will find ways to secretly open and make income while our mayor and governor begs Washington for bailouts.
Ok. Duly noted. Everyone here, please be aware that JM will no longer be discriminated against .
Lots of white people there. Wonder why it was peaceful.
Why don’t you tell us why .
Thank you for the racist comment in response to a protest raising awareness of systemic racism . It really helped drive the point home .
This reminds me of the Sandy Hook shooting when that white guy killed 28 kids , or the other shooting in Vegas when that white guy killed over 50 people or the Charleston church shooting when that other white guy killed 9 people or that white nazi who drove his car into 19 people . But yeah , i see what you mean .
Some people did some things.
This also reminds me of the DC sniper, or the Virginia Beach shooter, or the Washington Navy Yard shooter, or the Milwaukee Coors shooter or 4th of July weekend in Chicago. But yeah, I see what you mean.
I am a black woman and work in the school system in Queens. What did you mean by this?
Get anything good last week?
But this was a totally peaceful protest.
Thank you for agreeing that stereotypes are bad.
Collecting my tax dollars and then blocking my roads.
“MY” tax dollars?
“MY” roads?
You, sir or madam, are not part of the problem. You ARE the problem!
I’m tired of the Saint Patrick’s Day parade too…
Why didn’t you do your “peace protest” VIRTUALLY like we the rest of the WORLD? was FORCE to and still doing!?!?!
Oh an in a normal world you have MORE parades then our religious ones!?O;P