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NYPD Officers In Riot Gear Disrupt Outdoor Concert In Park Slope, Alarming Residents
By
David Cruz
Published Oct 3, 2020
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Megan Devir
By
David Cruz
Published Oct 3, 2020
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The NYPD used an overwhelming show of force in disrupting an outdoor concert in Park Slope, according to shocked residents who've never witnessed such a large response in the neighborhood.
Megan Devir was sitting outside her home on President Street Friday evening when she heard NYPD sirens blaring up the block from where bands were playing. Devir quickly noticed cops had formed a line on President Street and Seventh Avenue, with several dozen officers exiting their vehicles. She said the response went from "zero to 100," with officers strapping on riot gear.
"Some people were asking questions and asking why they were here. And they did--they were, you know, a little bit testy and warning people that if we were standing on the street and the sidewalk, they would take action," said Devir, recalling that the NYPD warned residents not to step foot on the street, similar to what they've told protester in recent months.
Devir pulled out her cell phone to begin recording officers approaching the intersection, blocking other vehicles from entering.
"When I asked questions, I was only met with threats to get on the sidewalk, or else," said Devir, who asked officers to put on their masks. "A number of them wore masks, but a number of them weren't."
Some who refused were the high-ranking white shirt officers who did not wear their masks after Devir requested they do so, with one of them telling her "I'm six feet away."
The weekly Friday events are organized by Cody Geil, a professional musician with Stoop Music Brooklyn, which has hosted its free outdoor concerts in front of her home since the summer, offering a nice respite for families looking to unwind.
Geil was stunned to see the police up the block from her home, telling Gothamist that her neighbors worried she would be getting in trouble. Neighbors were forced to get off the street as police rushed up the block after remaining there for a few
"It was really scary," said Geil, who did say that she had cordoned off the street regularly. "We were really having a peaceful night. And it was probably one of the chillest, most beautiful nights that we had."
She took to Instagram to post the sudden display of force:
One user who went by _andrewroberts commented, "They interrupted a Spanish love song with sirens and sent a guy in with riot gear to harass families and children gathered around - I’ll never forget that."
NYPD spokesperson Detective Sophia Mason told Gothamist that NYPD officers were in pursuit of protesters they claim were "acting disorderly by knocking at Grand Army Plaza" two blocks away.
"The group began to travel towards 7th Avenue and President Street, in the vicinity an unassociated group of individuals who appeared to be hosting a block party," claiming that "protesters began to block pedestrian and vehicular traffic, by blocking the sidewalk and standing in the street. Multiple verbal orders to disperse were issued and the protesters dispersed without incident. No arrests were made and no summonses were issued to any individuals."
Mason -- who took issue with the use of the word "riot gear" to describe what the officers were wearing -- could not explain why there was such a heavy police presence.
For Devir, and other neighbors, the response was an over-the-top display of force by the NYPD, which used a similar tactic last Saturday after they charged at outdoor diners to arrest protesters in the West Village.
"It seemed parallel that to me," said Devir, adding that the increased presence is something she's never seen before. "There's clearly been some sort of shift in escalation."
Devir has lived in the neighborhood for several years and has never witnessed this level of police aggression until after the George Floyd protests.
"It's an unfair reality that we don't see this kind of police presence that often in Park Slope, Brooklyn," said Devir. "So it was all the more notable that there was this level of response and people in riot gear, and everyone just really was kind of bewildered and wondered what was going on."
Geil, meantime, told Gothamist that the performances will continue.
Tagged
park slope
nypd
David Cruz
David is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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