Protesters in Astoria take a knee Tuesday @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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We have become a nation of idiots.