14 THE QUEENS COURIER • JUNE 25, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Demonstrators rally in Middle Village to show support for NYPD
BY DEAN MOSES
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
On Monday evening, hundreds of
demonstrators gathered in the Juniper
Valley Park’s basketball court located
on 80th Street and Juniper Boulevard
North to march through Middle
Village in support of the NYPD.
Over the last several weeks, thousands
of people all over the world have
protested against police brutality aft er
the killing of George Floyd, demanding
both justice and police defunding.
Th ere are those, however, who are
lending their support to the NYPD.
At 6:30 p.m. on June 22, NYPD backers
congregated on the sun-drenched
concrete clutching homemade signs
and brandishing American fl ags. While
many attendees practiced social distancing
by wearing face coverings
and using hand sanitizer, there were
also many who refused masks when
off ered and even berated others for
wearing theirs. Before the event commenced,
organizer Phil Wong, who
is also the president of Community
Education Council for school district
24, explained his reason for the public
display.
“I feel that the looters, who I saw
in Queens Center Mall breaking windows,
had nothing to do with Justice
for George Floyd. Th e looters seem to
exploit this topic. Th ey are here to disrupt.
Th ey are here to start chaos, and
they are here to start their own revolution,”
he said. “And they know how to
do it. You get rid of law and order and
then they are in charge, they will say
what is legal and what is not legal.”
Th e Queens Center Mall was not
looted, according to the commanding
offi cer of the 110th Precinct.
On June 1, there were reports of a
possible looting, which caused the mall
to be boarded up with plywood and
have an increased police presence. At
7 p.m. the rally, led by a police escort,
took to the streets of Middle Village.
Chants, most of which were led by
Charlie Vavruska, such as, “How do
you spell hero? NYPD!” and “Blue
Lives Matter!” echoed throughout the
residential community.
Former Assistant District Attorney
Jim Quinn, who was kicked off the
ballot for the Queens borough president
race for only fi ling for the special
election and not the primary election,
joined Wong and two other individuals
in holding a banner that read, “We
Support the NYPD.”
Th e demonstrators only grew in
numbers as locals left their homes to
join their neighbors. Th eir pro-NYPD
stance drew the ire of some onlookers
who heckled marchers by yelling,
“Black Lives Matter!” and raising their
fi sts skyward to symbolize their displeasure.
Th e exhibition commenced
with a fl eet of motorcyclists leading
those on foot back to Juniper Valley
Park in the twilight.
Additional reporting by Angélica
Acevedo. Photos by Dean Moses
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