US Elections 2020: Protect the Vote protests held across country
Anti-Trump protesters clash with NYPD in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village demanding ‘count every vote’ as National Guard is activated in Portland and LAPD declares ‘tactical alert’ for second night in a row
- Election protests erupted across the country on Wednesday after Trump falsely claimed victory and called for voting to stop amid a cliffhanger presidential race
- In New York City, demonstrators marched down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue as they called for every vote to be counted
- The rallies took a violent turn as night fell after protesters’ rallying cries devolved into anti-police rhetoric and some began setting fires and hurling garbage in the streets
- More than 20 people were arrested for ‘highjacking’ the peaceful protests, police said on Wednesday
- Similar ‘Protect the Results’ rallies unfolded in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Michigan and Washington
Election protests have descended into chaos in New York City where thousands of activists took to the streets to demand every vote be counted after President Trump falsely claimed victory amid a cliffhanger presidential race.
Crowds began mobilizing in Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue late Wednesday afternoon as part of several ‘Protect the Results’ demonstrations that kicked off in cities across the country including Philadelphia, Portland, Detroit, and Los Angeles.
Protesters had marched down the iconic thoroughfare in a generally peaceful rally while others convened in Washington Square Park as police officers in riot gear stood by in force.
The demonstrations however took a violent turn by nightfall when messages in support of democracy devolved into anti-police rhetoric and protesters began setting fires and throwing projectiles on the streets.
In the West Village, police officers moved on crowds while clashes erupted between cops and activists at a demonstration on Leroy Street and Seventh Avenue.
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NEW YORK CITY: Police officers arrest a protester as he marched through the East Village during an Election Day demonstration on Wednesday
NEW YORK CITY: Peaceful protests had descended into chaos by nightfall, when police began moving on crowds and carrying out several arrests
NEW YORK CITY: Anti-Trump protesters and activists rallied on the streets as police officers were out in force
NEW YORK CITY: Calls for a fair vote count later turned into anti-police rhetoric as some protesters began setting fires, police said. Pictured: A demonstrator wears a police uniform while wearing a pig mask
NEW YORK CITY: Clashes broke out between protesters and cops, prompting at least four arrests on Wednesday evening
New York Police officers had kept watch over demonstrators in the West Village before taking action against rowdy crowds
Protesters, police clash in New York City’s Greenwich Village amid demonstrations over presidential election; local media reports multiple arrests pic.twitter.com/ameE4wLL6V
— Factal News (@factal) November 5, 2020
NEW YORK CITY: Footage shared on social media showed cops monitoring rallies in the city before employing crowd-control tactics
Footage shared on social media showed cops using heavy-handed crowd control tactics including kettling, by closing in on large groups before carrying out several arrests.
More than 20 people had been arrested by 10pm Wednesday night, according to the NYPD.
‘We appreciate and value the importance of freedom of speech. Our top priority is and always will be safety,’ police said in a statement.
‘We have arrested more than 20 individuals who attempted to hijack a peaceful protest by lighting fires, throwing garbage and eggs in Manhattan.’
It comes after city and state officials had been bracing for potential unrest ahead of Election Day, with local businesses boarding up their property amid fears of violence and riots spurred by a potential Trump victory.
But those concerns did not materialize on Tuesday which only saw scattered protests at the end of the night however, fears were heightened again on Wednesday after Trump called for voting to stop.
NEW YORK CITY: Several protesters were arrested in the West Village after demonstrations spiraled out of control
NEW YORK CITY: A man is seeing being taken away by officers in handcuffs late Wednesday
NEW YORK CITY: Crowds of protesters began mobilizing in Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue late Wednesday afternoon as part of several ‘Protect the Results’ demonstrations that kicked off in cities across the country
NEW YORK CITY: Protesters rally and march form the New York Public Library down Fifth Avenue to protect the results of the US Presidential Election and to continue the count of ballots
NEW YORK CITY: Protesters rally and march from the New York Public Library down Fifth Avenue to protect the results of the US Presidential Election and to continue the count of ballots on November 4
In New York City, protesters gathered near the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue while other groups convened on 59th Street before marching down the street chanting ‘count every vote’ and ‘every vote counts’.
Other demonstrations were staged in Washington Square Park where a crowd of about 200 people got together while cops surrounded the area and police helicopters hovered above.
Similar scenes unfolded in Philadelphia, where crowds marched past Independence Hall as they called for a fair count.
Meanwhile in Los Angeles, the LAPD declared an unlawful assemble in the area of 5th and Hill Street due to a ‘large and unruly crowd.’
‘At this time, anyone in the area is to leave immediately and follow all orders from any police officer. This area is now closed,’ police warned.
It comes hours after the LAPD declared its second tactical alert in two days as they prepared for a wave of ‘Count Every Vote’ marches in the city.
The call requires all officers to go on duty to ‘ensure sufficient resources to address any incidents that may arise as a result of Election Day activities,’ the department said.
The post-election mayhem also extended to Seattle and Portland which has already been roiled by five months of near-nightly racial injustice protests since the police killing of George Floyd.
PHILADELPHIA: Demonstrators, including one carrying a Black Lives Matter flag, march past Independence Hall to urge that all votes be counted on Wednesday
PHILADELPHIA: Activists gathered outside holding placards reading ‘count every vote’ and ‘every vote counts’
WASHINGTON: Demonstrators attend a rally to support all votes being counted one day after Election Day, Wednesday in Washington
On Wednesday, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office declared a riot around 7pm after protesters were seen smashing windows at businesses during a demonstration against Trump’s court challenges to stop the vote count in battleground states.
In the interest of public safety, Governor Kate Brown activated the use of the state National Guard to help local law enforcement manage the unrest, according to the sheriff’s office.
Brown said previously she would keep state troopers, sheriff´s deputies and police officers under a unified command into Friday in Portland to handle protests amid uncertainty over the winner of the US presidential election.
The Oregon National Guard had been on standby. Brown’s order places law enforcement agencies under the joint command of the Oregon State Police and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department, which allows those agencies to use tear gas if necessary to quell unrest.
Mayor Ted Wheeler, who is also police commissioner, banned the use of tear gas by Portland police earlier this fall after concerns about an overly aggressive response to the unrest.
Earlier, the Republican campaign had urged officials to stop the count, demanding Michigan’s Democratic secretary of state allow in more inspectors after Biden was projected to be the winner in the state.
Trump’s remarks were the sort of call that protest organizers had planned for. The ‘Protect the Results’ coalition of over 130 groups, from Planned Parenthood to Republicans for the Rule of Law, has said it had about 500 protests organized around the country.
The prolonged task of counting this year’s deluge of mail-in votes raised fears that the lack of clarity in the presidential race could spark conflict.
Other anti-Trump demonstration were set for Wednesday evening, with protesters gathering in Houston, Minneapolis and Portland, Oregon.
