LONG THREAD: Last night, #BlueLivesMatter and the NYPD fought with #BlackLivesMatter protesters in Brooklyn.
This is the first of many incidents of violence I see in the footage I received.
All footage in thread by @JonFarinaPhoto for @N2Sreports - contact me for licensing.
A pro-cop activist tried to drive through the crowd, prompting an anti-cop activist to block the car.
Police escorted the car and later motorcycle traffic through.
Another fight broke out. Before police intervened, a pro-cop participant in the fight clearly threw a swing at a journalist's camera (19 seconds in). An officer pulled him away but did not arrest.
"Go home racists, go home!" chanted Black Lives Matter. Police arrived in larger numbers, now wielding batons.
As the crowd moved, another brawl broke out. Police pushed in and surrounded two cop supporters but again hesitated to make arrests.
After watching a cellphone video of the incident, police arrest one of the pro-police activists involved in the fight and push through the crowd to get him into a van.
"Na na na nah, goodbye!" sang the anti-cop activists.
I don't have footage of whatever precipitated this, but an activist wearing a "Yang Gang" (presumably on the anti-cop side) was also arrested.
Police forcibly pushed the crowd out of the way of their van, threatening arrest.
As the sun set, protesters set a mock KKK hood on fire. Police pushed forward to get protesters away from the fire and extinguish it.
A pro-cop guy ended up in the middle of the other side, and another fight precipitated.
"What are you guys doing? He's old!" As he was hit several times, some of the anti-police folks tried to de-escalate. "Get off him, man!"
Police threatened to arrest for "disorderly conduct" but didn't do so as activists set a trash can on fire.
Activists cleared, and police extinguished the garbage fire.
Before dispersing, anti-police activists wrapped up by burning American flags and dancing.
It's unusual that a summary video of an incident would be 25 minutes long, but @JonFarinaPhoto filmed a lot of action last night.
As always, all footage available for license.
I believe defendants should be entitled to raw video of their arrests.
Police bodycam footage can be notoriously inaccessible/non-existent.
Anyone arrested's attorneys can reach out and I'll be happy to provide raw files.
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