Stonewall Protest Erupts Into Chaos in Manhattan
Organizer Qween Jean described the scene as a “nightmare”
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
The weekly Stonewall
protest condemning police
brutality and deadly
violence against transgender
individuals erupted into
chaos on April 22 as the NYPD violently
roughed up protesters and
made arrests.
The “Black Power for Black Justice:
Guilty Is Not Enough” protest
started at the Stonewall Inn before
protesters made their way to Columbus
Circle, where six individuals
were arrested between Fifth
Avenue and East 59th Street after
the USS Maine National Monument
was allegedly covered in graffi
ti and red paint.
Video footage of the incident
posted by Twitter users, including
Leeroy Johnson (@LeeroyPress)
and Ash J (@AshAgony), showed
NYPD offi cers shoving protesters
Police made several arrests at the weekly stonewall protest on April 22.
with batons and throwing them to
the ground. In a text message to
Gay City News, Qween Jean, one of
the co-founders of the protest, confi
rmed the series of events and described
REUTERS/EDUARDO MUNOZ
the scene as a “nightmare.”
Chaos Erupts at protest in NYC.
Multiple arrests were made
Filmed and owned by leeroy
Johnson #NewYork #BLM #police
ACTIVISM
#BreakingNews pic.twitter.
com/0LmTjfyK5D
— Leeroy Johnson (@Leeroy-
Press) April 23, 2021
Individuals allegedly spraypainted
the monument with the
phrase “Stonewall was a Riot”
as well as the anti-police slogan,
“A.C.A.B.” The protesters were arrested
on multiple charges, including
assault, making graffi ti,
disorderly conduct, and obstructing
governmental administration,
police said.
The NYPD condemned the incidents
and claimed to be “working
to de-escalate the situation,” despite
the video evidence showing
them aggressively going after protesters.
The protests at Stonewall fi rst
started last year after a Black
trans woman in Missouri and a
Black trans man in Florida were
killed just weeks apart in 2020.
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