The big NYPD round-up: Cops hold 5,000 Brooklyn protesters on Manhattan Bridge and make 280 arrests in no-nonsense crackdown - but Saks takes matters into own hands with private security, guard dogs and RAZOR WIRE to stop looters
The NYPD cracked down on Tuesday night by arresting more than 280 people and blocking 5,000 protesters from entering Manhattan by holding them up on the Manhattan Bridge while enforcing the 8pm curfew.
It remains unclear if all 280 were arrested for breaking the curfew or if other offenses, like looting, were included in that number but it is a drastic reduction from the 700 that were arrested by Tuesday morning after a frightening 48-hour period that saw entire shopping districts in the city ransacked and ruined.
The curfew was brought forward from 11pm to 8pm on Tuesday and has been extended until Monday morning - when New York City begins its phase 1 of reopening after recovering from being the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.
In response to the chaos that unfolded across Manhattan on Sunday and Monday night and growing criticism over the city's handling of it.
President Trump was among critics who said the city was 'totally out of control' and claimed the National Guard needed to be brought in.
After scrambling to keep up with looters on Monday night, NYPD officers - who all had their leave canceled on Tuesday - were seen arresting protesters for breaking curfew on Tuesday all over Manhattan.
They blocked a huge protest on the Manhattan Bridge, stopping some 5,000 marchers who planned to enter the city from Brooklyn. After holding the protesters on the bridge for more than two hours in a tense stand-off, the protesters retreated peacefully back into Brooklyn.
Some businesses, still unwilling to put their faith in the NYPD, have hired private security.
5,000 protesters were stopped from entering Manhattan after walking across the Manhattan Bridge on Tuesday night
The NYPD stopped 5,000 protesters from entering Manhattan by blocking them on the Manhattan Bridge on Tuesday night. The protesters retreated after 2 hours
Protesters leave the Manhattan Bridge after being stopped by police last night during an 8pm curfew which thousands ignored but which was followed by less rampant destruction than on previous days in New York City
Young protesters wearing coronavirus masks sit behind their hands behind their backs
Protesters arrested on Tuesday night in Manhattan after breaking the 8pm curfew set by the city to get a handle on the chaos. One man had blood streaming from his head as he had his hands put in wire ties
A woman cries on the ground while sitting with her hands in wire ties after being arrested for breaking curfew on Tuesday night
NYPD officers wait for protesters to block their entry into Manhattan on the Manhattan Bridge on Tuesday night
Dozens of people were seen being taken away in paddy wagons as NYPD cracked down on curfew-violators
Saks Fifth Avenue on Wednesday was surrounded by a militia of private, armed guards. They held dogs on leashes and stood in front of plywood walls that had been reinforced with razor wire to protect the luxury department store.
'Anyone who is out and cannot prove they are there for essential reasons can be detained,' Mayor de Blasio said on Wednesday morning, warning against anyone who thinks they can flout the curfew.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday that the situation overnight was a vast improvement on the previous 48 hours.
Trump claimed on Tuesday that the city was 'totally out of control'. On Wednesday, he said the National Guard was 'ready'.
Gov. Cuomo was hesitant to call in the Guard as was de Blasio. They both said the NYPD could handle it in a better way.
On Wednesday, Cuomo said: 'New York City last night was much better. The police officers had the resources and capacity to do their jobs. The results last night were much, much better than the night before.
'The people of New York City should feel much better today than they did after the night of looting.'
Terrence Floyd, George Floyd's brother, on Wednesday joined NYPD Commisisioner Shea at a press conference where he warned looters: 'Don't do it in the name of George Floyd.
'You're disrespecting his legacy.
'We have an issue in New York City, which is a good thing in terms of having a relationship and bridging the gap in this hostile environment.
'Now, we can have a voice and turn something negative into a conversation that can lead to positive,' he said.
Ten protests are scheduled to take place across the city between 1pm and 7pm, including one at Gracie Mansion, where de Blasio lives.
The calmer scenes in New York City were echoed across much of America where protesters once again turned out in force but the confrontations with police were subdued and widespread rioting was limited.
It followed a day of anger from President Trump's critics over the way he threatened to deploy the military to quell riots across the US and cleared protesters in Washington DC so he could visit damaged St John's Episcopal Church.
He also considered using 'tanks' or other armored military vehicles to help restore order in the US after violent protests broke out across the country for a sixth night, defense officials have revealed.
This morning the president repeated his demand for 'LAW & ORDER!', urged police to 'get tough' and responded to an image of a boarded-up Manhattan with a warning that 'the National Guard is ready'.
Saks Fifth Avenue has hired its own security guards and placed razor wine fencing around its iconic store front
The luxury store's plywood window coverings were reinforced on Wednesday morning
Rows of private security guards stood in front of the store on Wednesday to ward off any looters
A security guard standing outside the store on Wednesday morning
The store had already been boarded up after two nights of chaos across New York City
Security guards with dogs outside Saks Fifth Avenue on Wednesday morning
In New York, De Blasio moved the city's first curfew since 1943 forward from 11pm but rejected Trump's urging and an offer from Governor Andrew Cuomo to bring in the National Guard.
Looters broke into Zara near the World Trade Center, Nordstrom Rack on 6th Avenue, fought with Guardian Angels at Foot Locker in the East Village and stores were also targeted in Soho again.
As unrest continued for a fifth night, Trump called on officials to enlist the help of the federal government to regain control of the city.
'New York's Finest are not being allowed to perform their MAGIC but regardless, and with the momentum that the Radical Left and others have been allowed to build, they will need additional help. NYC is totally out of control. [De Blasio and Cuomo] MUST PUT DOWN RIOTING NOW!' he tweeted.
Mayor de Blasio later defended his decision not to deploy National Guard troops, telling CNN their presence could have raised 'a real risk of violence and someone losing their life.'
He also hit back at New York governor Cuomo who has been highly critical of De Blasio's approach to controlling the riots. He said after Tuesday night's chaos: 'The NYPD and the mayor did not do their job last night,' Cuomo had said at a briefing in Albany. 'Look at the videos. It was a disgrace.'
De Blasio hit back:'He dishonored the men and women of the NYPD in an absolutely inappropriate way for any leader to do.
'Any elected official who blames the NYPD while they were out there fighting in the streets to restore order, protect 'people — that's disgraceful.'
He also confirmed Tuesday night saw 'the highest number of police we have had over the last five days,' but refused to say how many officers were on the ground.
As of 1am, police had carried out about 200 arrests across the city, with that figure expected to rise, CNN reported.
Shortly after the curfew went into effect, De Blasio had urged residents to go home 'so we can keep people safe', but he was ignored by many around the city who continued protesting throughout the city's streets.
In some areas, police let people continue on their way, while making arrests in others.
Demonstrators who had been on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan were herded off, with parts of the roadway blocked off behind them.
As of 1am, police had carried out about 200 arrests across the city, with that figure expected to rise, CNN reported.
Shortly after the curfew went into effect, De Blasio had urged residents to go home 'so we can keep people safe', but he was ignored by many around the city who continued protesting throughout the city's streets.
In some areas, police let people continue on their way, while making arrests in others. Demonstrators who had been on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan were herded off, with parts of the roadway blocked off behind them.
A young woman is arrested after breaking curfew at Astor Place. It is unknown if she was part of the group that smashed store fronts and looted stores there
The Starbucks at Astor Place on Tuesday night had all its windows smashed
They set fire to garbage near Astor Place after smashing windows of stores
People being arrested at Astor Place on Tuesday night. It is unclear if they were arrested for looting or for breaking curfew
NYPD officers load detained demonstrators on to a paddy wagon after thousands ignored 8pm curfew
Looters broke into Zara near the World Trade Center, Nordstrom Rack on 6th Avenue, fought with Guardian Angels at Foot Locker in the East Village and stores were also targeted in Soho again.
People are arrested for looting at Astor Place in New York City last night as police swooped on people who broke the city's curfew
People are arrested after looting in New York City last night on another day of angry protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week
Dozens of protesters and curfew-violators were detained and loaded onto police vans at Grand and Centre Street in as chaos erupted a fifth night
Police began making arrests around 9pm, when peaceful protests turned into chaos on Tuesday night
A demonstrator is detained by a police officer after curfew during a protest against the death of George Floyd
But as night fell, groups of curfew-violators and looters around the city were rounded up and handcuffed by officers before being loaded on to NYPD vans.
Police began making arrests around 9pm and shut down parts of the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan, blocking it off to huge crowds of protesters.
The police department had announced it would not allow vehicle traffic south of 96th Street in Manhattan after curfew, though residents, essential workers, buses and truck deliveries were exempt.
An estimated 5,000 peaceful protesters were also left stranded on the Manhattan Bridge for hours after NYPD officers formed a barricade blocking entry into Manhattan after the curfew came into effect.
Videos shared on social media showed demonstrators chanting 'let us through' after reaching the end of the bridge.
Some took to Twitter to say they were forced to wait for two hours before officers finally let crowds through.
'Currently stuck on the Manhattan Bridge. NYPD told us the would let us through 'in 10 min' - that was 40 min ago. They now brought in multiple vans to barricade us in from both sides. They are all wearing riot gear. We have been nothing but peaceful,' one woman tweeted.
Social media footage showed protesters finally began to clear the bridge around 11pm.
Meanwhile in Chelsea, protester Jane Rossi said she witnessed officers rip a man out of his car and arrest him around 10.45pm.
The car was behind a group of several hundred protesters that had roamed Manhattan peacefully since leaving Trump Tower at 8pm.
NYPD officers board a bus after securing the Soho area to prevent looters during curfew following demonstrations
Tensions had risen moments earlier when some in the group began trying to damage a bike rental station and banged on the windows of a JCPenny's. The vast majority of the crowd moved to stop the them.
Officers surrounded the car and arrested the driver moments later.
'They were just driving behind the protesters making sure that we were safe,' Rossi told AP. 'They were part of the protest.'
Just after midnight Wednesday, most of the city's streets were cleared aside from police patrolling, especially in hot-spot areas for demonstrations in areas of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
There was a heavy police presence in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Crown Heights, where authorities say police fatally shot a man after responding to reports of shots fired. NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan said the officer-involved shooting was not connected to the protests.
Looters also took to the streets to target businesses for a fourth night, with one video showing a group of men breaking into a Zara store.
Footage uploaded on Twitter showed police tackling a group of looters to the ground as they emerged from a Zara store near Fulton St, before placing them in handcuffs.
Merchants were seen boarding up storefronts in a bid to protect their businesses from looters who have targeted high-end designer stores on Manhattan's iconic Fifth Ave, as well as the Macy's flagship store.
Protests over the death of George Floyd had continued across the city this afternoon, with large gatherings forming in Foley Square near City Hall, Times Square, Washington Square Park and Carl Schurz Park.
Demonstrators marched peacefully, with some staging a sit-in near Carl Schurz Park on the Upper East Side, before chaos erupted across the city again after sunset.
It comes as officials had been gearing up for another night of carnage. The NYPD earlier had also told cops to cancel any time off in a message sent to staff reading: 'Effective immediately, all full duty uniformed members of the service RDO's are cancelled.'
Police guard the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge that heads towards Brooklyn as protesters try to cross over
Thousands of people took to the streets of NYC for a fifth night on Tuesday peacefully protesting the death of George Floyd
A number of demonstrations were scheduled for Tuesday afternoon as Mayor Bill de Blasio was forced to bring curfew forward from 11pm to 8pm after last night's carnage
A woman holds up a Black Lives Matter sign during fifth night of George Floyd protests in NYC on Tuesday
Protesters chanting 'hands up, don?t shoot!' march down Flatbush Avenue, one of Brooklyn's major streets, towards the Manhattan Bridge
Protesters take a knee as a sign of unity and chant during a solidarity march for George Floyd in Times Square
The daytime protests comes as the NYPD announced all non-essential traffic will be banned across Manhattan south of 96th Street starting at 8pm tonight
Protesters chant during a solidarity march for George Floyd in Times Square Tuesday
Protesters take a knee outside of the police station in Times Square in New York City on Tuesday
New York courts had also warned their workers to stay at home because of the protest.
'The entire area around the courthouse complex will be shut down,' District Executive Edward Friedland wrote in the email, obtained by The New York Post.
'At the direction of the Chief Judge [Colleen McMahon], no SDNY staff are to come to the Foley Square courthouses tomorrow.'
One protest was scheduled to be held at 1 Police Plaza, the headquarters of the New York City Police Department, but organizers changed its location in order to not interfere with protesters in custody being released at the station, according to Patch.
Further demonstrations in the city were planned at the Stonewall Inn and 47th Street and Broadway, in Manhattan, 98 Fifth Ave in Brooklyn, and Fort Totten and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue Station in Queens.
NBC reporter Phil McCausland posted to Twitter that thousands gathered in Foley Square Tuesday afternoon before they began a march north through the city.
Before they started out, protesters took a knee, raised a fist and chanted the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor while helicopters circled overhead.
As they walked north, they were saluted by medical workers holding signs that read, 'Nurses fought COVID. Now we'll fight the police.'
Workers putting up plywood to protect businesses from further looting also showed their support banging on wood and holding 'Black Lives Matter' signs.
In Times Square, thousands of protesters took a knee while holding their fists up in solidarity.
Other protests unfolded at Carl Schurz Park in the Upper East Side, as well as Washington Square Park where organizers planned to march uptown towards the mayor's residence Gracie Mansion.
Footage shared on social media Tuesday evening showed thousands marching peacefully, a stark contrast to Monday night's protests.
At Carl Schurz Park, photos showed demonstrators staging a sit-in and sitting on the road in silence.
Police officers stand guard in Lower Manhattan as protesters march through the city
Thousands took a knee as they gathered in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan in a peaceful protest that comes after four nights of chaos
As of early Tuesday evening, the city protests unfolded peacefully - a stark contrast to Monday night's riots
Protesters spilled onto the streets of Manhattan ahead of the city's 8pm curfew tonight
Protests broke out in Washington Square Park where organizers planned to march uptown towards the mayor's residence Gracie Mansion
Around the country, last night's protests were largely peaceful and the nation's streets calmer - although tensions flared just before a 9pm curfew went into effect in Atlanta.
Officers launched tear gas into crowds and were met with an onslaught of water bottles and fireworks before the crowd eventually dispersed.
Tens of thousands gathered in Houston to pay a hometown tribute to Floyd, who grew up in the Texas city and is to be buried there next week.
'Today is... about George Floyd's family - we want them to know that George did not die in vain,' Mayor Sylvester Turner told an estimated 60,000 people.
A tearful Roxie Washington, the mother of Floyd's six-year-old daughter, told a news conference she wanted 'justice for him because he was good. No matter what anybody thinks, he was good.'
Elsewhere, the Pentagon confirmed that around 1,600 active duty troops had been moved to the DC area from Fort Bragg in North Carolina and Fort Drum in New York to assist authorities in containing the unrest in Washington.
Law enforcement met with some resistance as they tried to clear protesters from near the White House. A fence was later put up to stop protesters from getting too near to the President's official residence.
And in Los Angeles, dozens of protesters staged a post-curfew sit-in outside Mayor Eric Garcetti's home. They held up their hands and chanted: 'Peaceful protest' while ignoring police orders to move.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA: The National Guard and cops were massed together as they faced down scattered protesters who had defied a 9pm curfew
WASHINGTON DC: Law enforcement in the nation's capital were met with similar resistance as they attempted to clear the streets outside the White House
BOSTON: Protesters set of fireworks following a rally honoring George Floyd on Tuesday night
ORLANDO: Police deploy tear gas to disperse crowds outside Orlando City Hall on Tuesday night
The big NYPD round-up: Cops hold 5,000 Brooklyn protesters on Manhattan Bridge and make 280 arrests in no-nonsense crackdown - but Saks takes matters into own hands with private security, guard dogs and RAZOR WIRE to stop looters
![The big NYPD round-up: Cops hold 5,000 Brooklyn protesters on Manhattan Bridge and make 280 arrests in no-nonsense crackdown - but Saks takes matters into own hands with private security, guard dogs and RAZOR WIRE to stop looters]()
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