They definitely charged multiple times, said Egypt Staley, 22, of Washington Heights.
He told the New York Daily News: Some people were just being grabbed off the sidewalk. Some people were not even facing them. They surrounded us. People were trying to leave. Some people were like, How can I even leave?
Helen Guzman, 30, told the paper: They were really violent. Cops were pushing, shoving folks, pummeling people, tackling them.
The area was all quiet by around 10pm, according to social media.
NYPD attacking protesters at City Hall Park pic.twitter.com/BHtH76kyde Isabelle Leyva (@isabelle leyva) January 19, 2021
MLK DAY MAYHEM
BLM protesters clash with cops in violent scenes at Martin Luther King Jr. Day demo as 30 arrested
Updated: 19 Jan 2021, 23:03
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BLACK Lives Matter protesters clashed with cops in violent scenes at a Martin Luther King Jr Day demonstration that led to 30 arrests.
The confrontation took place outside City Hall Park in New York City on Monday at roughly 8.30pm.
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There was a large police presence at the sceneCredit: Twitter
The protesters were marching from Barclays Center, over the Brooklyn Bridge and towards the park, the New York Post reported.