Thread by @NewYorkStateAG

STARTING NOW: Our public hearing on interactions between the public and police during recent protests.

Join us:

ag.ny.gov/livestream

My office is conducting an independent investigation into the NYPD’s actions throughout these protests and the policies and systemic realities that inform these actions.

Political protest is a fundamental civil right. One that must be protected against unlawful infringement.

We also must be clear what these protests are about: another life lost in a long line of unarmed Black people killed at the hands of law enforcement.

And a system that has allowed this to happen time and time again without making fundamental changes.

Protesters took to the streets with a righteous spirit for justice & change, not just for George Floyd, but Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell & Eric Garner here in New York.

For Ahmaud Arbery on a back road in Georgia.

For Breonna Taylor, asleep in her own bed in Louisville, Kentucky.

They took to the streets for both those whose names we say, and those whose names never made it onto the front page.

Today’s hearing is intended to shed light on how police in our nation’s largest city have handled protests where what is being protested is police violence itself.

It is to hear from those on the ground and those who have made the study of the system their life’s work.

We will hear from dozens of impacted individuals, elected officials, and advocacy groups.

Due to an outpouring of testimony submissions, we will be hosting a second day of our public hearing -- tomorrow at 11AM.

This is an opportunity for members of the public and those involved in confrontations to speak directly with our office and better inform our investigation.

Now, we will start to hear from witnesses.