Riot Erupts In Lower Manhattan As Protesters Clash With Police

Another clash between protesters and police took place in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday night. The encounter resulted in the arrest of 60 people.

According to reports, what started as a peaceful protest in Washington Square Park took a turn for the worse as the protesters marched their way through the West Village around 7:30 p.m. Following their earlier chants of “Count the vote,” the protesters started airing their anti-police sentiments at outdoor diners and starting fires.

Two protesters in black started the fire by igniting a Joe Biden campaign sign, encouraging a round of applause from the crowd. This was followed by another group of protesters taunting patrons at Jeffrey Grocery in West Village.

“F*ck your dinner,” chanted the protesters as they passed the Waverly Place eatery. “Burn the precinct to the ground,” they added.

Protesters also set rubbish fires at West 4^th Street and Sixth Avenue as another group clashed with cops in riot gear at Leroy Street and Seventh Avenue. It remains unclear what led the cops to close in but witnesses said they were forcefully arresting some protesters when the riot erupted.

Police arrested 24-year-old Devina Singh after she screamed “F*ck you, fascist” in the face of a police officer. One of the cops reportedly shoved her into the building and forced her to the ground, provoking the protesters even more. “You don’t attack a woman!” shouted one of the protesters.

More arrests happened as cops and protesters faced off at West 8^th Street and Fifth Avenue minutes later. The clash resulted in one protester slugging a police officer at the scene. Authorities also recovered a taser, two knives, and M80s during the demonstration.

NYPD Chief of Department Terrance Monahan said on early Wednesday that his department would not let anyone exploit the peaceful protests. “We are going to be on the lookout for anarchists who are trying to hijack these peaceful marches,” he said. “We have also asked the organizers to help us identify these outside people,” he added.