A Mass March and Black Lives Matter Protests at Washington Square Park NYC

And those Black Lives Matter protests still seem to be happening in the streets of America and beyond. And there was a Mass March to Defund NYPD, Tax the Rich & Stop the Layoffs! in that city of New York this past weekend. And those are the words that I saw for the title of that Facebook event invite when I looked to see why there seemed to be like ten different protests going on at once at Washington Square Park this past weekend, and that’s not including the Women's March that was there this past weekend also as I attempted to vend those Black Lives Matter, Not My President, Occupy Wall Street, No Police State, Yoga, Tompkins Square Park, Union Square Park, Washington Square Park, Brooklyn and I Love New York necklaces, magnets, key chains and pins for $2 each at Washington Square Park this past weekend. Batala was drumming there and The People’s Bodega had some really good food there also.

And the Facebook event invite for the Mass March to Defund NYPD, Tax the Rich & Stop the Layoffs! read like:  

RSVP HERE: https://actionnetwork.org/events/mass-march-to-defund-the-nypd-tax-the-rich-and-stop-the-layoffs

At the end of June the NYC City Council passed a budget which Mayor DeBlasio and Speaker Corey Johnson claimed Defunded the NYPD in response to the demand raised by protestors and those encamped at City Hall. This claim was a blatant lie as not a single NYPD officer faces a job loss. To add insult to injury, the budget leaves 22,000 city workers at risk of losing their jobs in the midst of crises of unemployment, economic decline and COVID-19. Thus far, the state legislature and Governor Cuomo have refused to pass legislation to Tax the Rich & Wall Street to fill the budget gap. Meanwhile President Trump threatens to withhold funds from NYC and has designated us an “Anarchist Jurisdiction.” In the spirit of resistance which drove this summer’s protests towards justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others murdered by the police, a coalition of the city’s labor and community activists invite the people, and all other social justice organizations to join us in turn in out as many NYers as possible. See you on the streets! 

Link to sign-up for updates to come! 

Flyer credit: @whenthisallblowsover

And there were like 32 hosts for this event invite, including, NYC Covid Coalition, Black Trans Nation, Revolting Lesbians, Crown Heights Tenant Union, PRESS NYC Parents for Responsive Equitable Safe Schools, Moms United for Black Lives NYC, Black Lives Matter Brooklyn, Met Council on Housing, NYC for Abortion Rights, Teachers Unite, Queens DSA, NYC DSA Labor Branch, Bronx, Uppen Manhattan DSA, Red Bloom: A Communist Collective, Freedom Socialists Party – NYC, Labor for Palestine, North Brooklyn DSA, Sunrise NYC, People’s Strike: Fighting for our Lives, Forging Our Future, MORE UFT, Crown Heights Service Industry Workers, North Bronx Racial Justice, Central Brooklyn DSA, Parents Supporting Parents NY INC, NYC Democratic Socialists of America, Socialist Alternative NYC, DC 37 Progressives, Rank and File Action, NYC Fight for Our Lives Coalition, DSA AfroSocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus, Local 100 Fightback and NYC DSA Racial Justice Working Group.

And that banner that I think it was Rise and Resist held up in front of the Washington Square Park arch that said “DEMOCRACY DIES IN A POLICE STATE” was really cool. And from what I saw in internetland,  the march from Washington Square Park continued in the streets after most everyone left the park. And it seems to have been a weekend of demonstrations and protests.

Black Lives Matter. Occupy Wall Street Worldwide. And what, if anything, does this have to do with a No Police State. Have a great New York City protest day and more, if possible, during these crazy and historical times we are living in.