Approximately 150 protesters blocked traffic Friday in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, and someone graffitied the front of the church, according to police.
Officers responded to the disorderly group gathered at 51st Street and Fifth Avenue at about 1:30 a.m., the New York Post reported.
Freelance reporter Oliya Scootercaster tweeted video footage of the demonstration, showing protesters surrounding a New York Police Department (NYPD) vehicle:
At one point, the protesters began banging on the car’s hood.
Scootercaster also shared a video clip of someone trying to wipe the spraypainted letters “ACAB” off the cathedral’s wall:
The Post article continued:
The protesters, affiliated with Black Lives Matter Brooklyn and Justice for George, started marching at the Stonewall Inn and had stopped at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, police sources said. While inspecting the scene, cops found the letters “ACAB” — which stands for “All cops are bastards” — newly graffitied in pink, about 2 feet by 4 feet, on the facade of the cathedral, police said.
The group later dispersed, and no arrests were made at the scene, according to authorities.
Earlier on New Year’s Eve, Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife danced together in Times Square while keeping other New Yorkers out thanks to his coronavirus restrictions.
As Reuters reported:
Mayor Bill de Blasio and police officials have told New Yorkers and out-of-towners alike to stay away and watch pared-down festivities on television. A large contingent of police officers will barricade the area to prevent unauthorized people from gathering, aiming to prevent an event that could accelerate the spread of the virus in a city already struggling to contain it.
“It’s going to be actually, arguably, the most special, the most poignant, the most moving New Year’s Eve,” de Blasio, who will push the button to start the crystal’s ball descent, told reporters. “In 2021, we’re going to show people what it looks like to recover, to come back.”
However, Twitter users expressed their disagreement with the restrictions and apparent double standard:
“If you don’t see communism in New York City, You should reevaluate yourself immediately,” wrote user Joel Fischer:
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