Unrest

For weeks, protesters took to the streets of New York City following the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed while in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. In NYC, Floyd’s death drew immediate comparisons to the 2014 killing of Eric Garner, who died after being placed in a chokehold by police on Staten Island. Both incidents sparked national outcry and became pivotal moments in the Black Lives Matter movement.

The NYPD reported over 1,500 arrests and dozens of injured officers after protests began on May 28. Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the city was placed under curfew from June 1 to June 7. Between May 29 and June 9, an estimated 450 businesses across the city were looted or damaged during the unrest. The protests galvanized calls for police reform, resulting in legislation that, among other changes, criminalized the use of chokeholds during arrests.