BLM protesters and cops come to BLOWS as statue near Columbus Circle is vandalized with anti-police graffiti in NYC
Black trans lives matter protesters and cops came to blows Thursday night after the protesters apparently sprayed a statue near Columbus Circle - and at the entrance of Central Park - with anti-cop graffiti and red paint resembling blood.
A group of hundreds of protesters were seen marching through Manhattan on Thursday, apparently under the banner of black trans lives, before vandalizing a statue in Columbus Circle and clashing with police during a chaotic melee.
It's not clear what kicked off the chaotic scene.
Police regularly patrol the area because it's near Central Park, near a statue of Christopher Columbus which some have called to be removed, and also near the Trump International Hotel.
Protesters were seen carrying signs that read 'Justice for Ma'Khia Bryant' referring to the 16-year-old girl who was shot by Columbus, Ohio police earlier this week.
They then vandalized the USS Maine National Monument and clashed with police.
The NYPD wouldn't provide specifics when asked by DailyMail.com for details on what happened, saying they were still gathering details from officers on the scene. At least two people had been arrested early Friday.
Several protesters were seen brawling with NYPD officers while others threw an unidentified liquid at them, video shows. One protester was seemingly heard on video attempting to spit on cops.
'What the f**k is wrong with you?' one person on the video screams at police as officers grabbed protesters.
The protest comes as the U.S. grapples with the Ma'Khia Byrant shooting in Ohio, the Derek Chauvin guilty verdict over George Floyd's murder and the funeral for Daunte Wright, who was shot by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Protesters were seen brawling with NYPD officers in Columbus Circle near Central Park on Thursday
Protesters and cops were seen shoving and punching each other during the massive fight
Police and protesters are seen during a large fight that broke out during a black trans lives matter protest in Manhattan
A person is seen facing off with a cop in an NYPD baseball cap during a fight near Central Park
A person is seen shining a flash light on a protesters and police as they faced off during the brawl
The person appears to fall to the ground during the fight while a wall of NYPD officers watch
A person that appears to be a protester is seen on the ground underneath a group of police officers
The NYPD said on Thursday that at least two people had been arrested during the protest
Protesters were seen on videos posted to Twitter defacing the USS Maine National Monument at a gateway to Central Park
PGraffiti on the USS Maine monument included the text 'Stonewall was a riot,' 'ACAB' and 'F**k 12' - a reference for police
The protesters and cops were seen shoving and punching each in the brawl while one protester fell to the ground.
Video shows officers trying to arrest a protester and crowding around a cab as the woman tried to flee. Other protesters tried to block their move. It is unclear whether an arrest was made.
Dozens of police officers were seen carrying zip ties in the aftermath - and the department tweeted it was trying to 'deescalate the situation' to prevent further damage.
'We respect's everyone right to peacefully protest, but vandalism is not part of peaceful protest. We are working to de-escalate the situation to prevent further damage from occurring,' the NYPD tweeted.
The protest was part of weekly 'Stonewall Protests' - which according to its Instagram are 'demonstrations by black queer and black trans activists centered on the acknowledgment of all black life.'
An NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com that at least two people had been arrested in Columbus Circle for the protest, though did not have their charges immediately available.
Protesters were seen carrying a banner that reads 'Justice for Ma'Khia Bryant'
The march was a part of the Stonewall Protests, which happen weekly in support of 'all black lives'
A group of hundreds of protesters were seen marching through Manhattan on Thursday before vandalizing a statue in Columbus Circle
Protesters were seen carrying a banner after the shooting death of Ma'Khia Bryant
An NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com that at least two people had been arrested in Columbus Circle for the protest
Protesters are seen gathered at the Stonewall Inn, the city of violent riots that led to equality for many in the LGBTQ community
Hundreds of protesters had gathered for the march before it made its way to Central Park
Many of the marchers on Thursday carried pride flags after gathering on Christopher Street
A woman speaks into a microphone during a march for 'all black lives' in Manhattan on Thursday
Though the protest ended in Columbus Circle, the protesters did not appear to have vandalized a controversial statue of Christopher Columbus also located in the area.
Earlier this year, police were revealed to be still guarding that statue around the clock while displays of Confederate symbols or other figures deemed racist have been taken down or toppled across America in recent months.
The vandalized USS Maine National Monument, created in 1912, is dedicated to the 258 American sailors who were on board the ship when it exploded in Havana harbor in February 1898, contributing to the onset of the Spanish-American War.
The battleship had been sent to Cuba to protect the interests of Americans there after a rebellion against Spanish rule broke out in Havana in January 1898.
The cause of the explosion was never conclusively determined but the disaster was used to justify the war against Spain which lasted eight months.
In the days after the sinking of the USS Maine, the publisher of the New York Journal, William Randolph Hearst, called for the public memorial to be built to honor the lost sailors.
Graffiti on the USS Maine monument included the text 'Stonewall was a riot,' 'ACAB' and 'F**k 12' - a reference for police. The phrase ACAB stands for 'All Cops Are Bas***ds.'
The protest and vandalism comes hours after the funeral for Daunte Wright, 20, who was shot by a white police officer in a Minneapolis suburb on April 11 after a routine traffic stop.
It also comes amid rising tensions over the shooting of 16-year-old Ma'Khia Byrant by Colombus Police Office Nicholas Reardon in Ohio, which has sparked BLM protests.
Video footage shows Byrant wielding a gun and two neighbors have said they believe Reardon had no choice but to shoot the black teenager because more people could have been killed if he hadn't acted.
The protests also come after Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd.
The fired Minneapolis police officer, 45, was immediately taken to the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Oak Park Heights on Tuesday and was placed on suicide watch after being found guilty of killing George Floyd.
On Thursday, the group of protesters had started marching near the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, the site of a series of violent riots that led to the advancement of equality for the LGBTQ community.
The protesters were seen marching from the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street to Central Park
People claimed on Twitter that the NYPD started arresting protesters after a majority had already dispersed
On their way to Columbus Circle, marchers stopped by The New York Times building in Midtown.
Video taken by journalist Leeroy Johnson shows the protesters chanting 'F**k The New York Times' outside of the building.
'Prior to this vandalism they were sharing some points many people can agree on,' the advocacy group AntifaWatch tweeted.
The Twitter account Protest NYC claimed that the group had participated in a 'night of peaceful protesting' before the massive brawl.
'NYPD waited for most protesters to leave, and then swarmed those remaining on the sidewalk. Police targeted organizers,' the account claimed.
'Over 200 police surrounded the park where the peaceful protest against police violence had already dispersed to arrest organizers.'
The Stonewall protest also came after the larger March on Broadway which started at Columbus Circle earlier in the day before proceeding towards Times Square and the theater district.
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