June 19, 2020
Thousands of people hit the streets downtown today, Juneteenth, continuing a month of activism set off by the murder of a black man, George Floyd, on Memorial Day in Minneapolis by a white police officer, Derek Chauvin. It was a youngish crowd, twenty and thirty somethings mostly, nearly all of them wearing a face covering.
The Gazette caught up with Artists for George, a group of around a hundred artist/activists on Broadway near City Hall where Jamal Story was addressing the protesters and news media:
“The fight against white supremacy is not just about justice. It is, as Tiffany says, about the full value of black lives. The march for Juneteenth is about celebrating those lives.
“It is about the harmony in our spirits.
“It is about the steel in our push.
“It is about the warmth in our ingenuity.
“It is about us seeing the sunlight in our freedom and the soil in our joy.
“It is about celebration, art, remembrance, dance, music, and honor to our ancestors for beginning to hold the seed of freedom in their fingers.
“We will carry this seed with the courage and art in our arms. Ashe.”
Ebony Collins led a moment of silence for those who did not survive police brutality before asking if anybody knows someone who treats their dog better than they treat a black person. Too many hands went up.
Ranjit Singh and United Sikhs were on hand providing food and refreshments to the activists. It’s an old Sikh custom, Rajit told the Gazette. All are welcome at their temple. He and his group were here today in support of Juneteenth and Black Lives Matter. Police brutality isn’t unique to America, he told the Gazette. It’s a problem around the world, he said, and Sikhs have experienced it in India.
Style HotLine and DanceNYC were also on hand at City Hall in support of BLM/Juneteenth.
Around 3:30 the group took off up Broadway, headed west on Thomas Street to Hudson, then went uptown to Canal before turning back east. By this time more and more marchers had joined in and the mobilization stretched all the way from Canal and Varick and up 6th Avenue to the Village, from curb to curb. The march turned east on West 4th Street passing by NYU and Washington Square before turning north on University Place.
A HUGE contingent of bicyclists from Street Riders NYC was part of today’s mobilization.
They easily filled Washington Square South from 6th Avenue to University Place and, according to their Insta, they’ll be out again tomorrow 6/20 in support of BLM once more.
Here’s a few more pics of todays activity:
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