Antifa called for a day of action in New York City on Friday against law enforcement and transit fares.
“The streets are ours. The trains our ours. The walls are ours. This moment is ours,” the Antifa-linked Twitter account Decolonize This Place posted Tuesday in calling for action Friday.
The account tweeted videos and images of action being taken Friday morning.
We are told creative sabotage is underway targeting OMNY 👇🏽‼️ pic.twitter.com/yvc53RIi4V
— DecolonizeThisPlace (@decolonize_this) January 31, 2020
Images from one of the action.👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/cNtYJ2YNcH
— DecolonizeThisPlace (@decolonize_this) January 31, 2020
Happening everywhere in the city now. Hop. Hold. Chain. #FTP3 #J31 pic.twitter.com/fr3I7unt6o
— DecolonizeThisPlace (@decolonize_this) January 31, 2020
Should Antifa groups be classified as domestic terrorists?
A website connected to the protest said the protests would peak at 5 p.m. local time at Grand Central Station.
“In all honesty though, we do not know what to expect, other than it will be an antagonistic scenario in one of the most policed and survielled sites in New York, with large numbers of indignant people ready to throw down in whatever ways feel good to them,” the group said. “We only ask that those planning riskier actions do so in ways that do not use other people as shields or put others unknowingly in harm’s way.
“That said, this is a time for losing fear and moving things forward, so those coming to Grand Central should be ready for things to pop off.”
The group went on to give the reason for the action Friday.
“People are taking action for various reasons, but the most immediate spark and subsequent fuel for the outrage on the streets has been the ongoing brutalization and harassment of black and brown people on the trains,” it said.
“This is a long-term pattern that has only intensified as the MTA has ramped up its ‘broken windows’ policing approach, deployed against fare-jumping and other ‘quality of life’ crimes. These policies are related in turn to the MTA’s vote to add an additional 500 police to the subways this year to the tune of 250 million dollars.”
The group called the presence of police in the subways “a declaration of war against our communities.”
The Police Benevolent Association of New York City warned residents about the protests in a tweet Thursday.
“New Yorkers should pay close attention: this is true endgame of the anti-police movement, an end of all policing & destruction of public order. Our members have spent their careers — and in some cases given their lives — to bring public safety back to NYC. We can’t go backwards,” the tweet read.
WARNING: The following video contains vulgar language that some viewers may find offensive.
New Yorkers should pay close attention: this is true endgame of the anti-police movement, an end of all policing & destruction of public order. Our members have spent their careers — and in some cases given their lives — to bring public safety back to NYC. We can’t go backwards pic.twitter.com/X72vVioCVi
— NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) January 30, 2020
The New York Police Department said in a statement that it was “aware of the demonstration and will have an adequate police presence in place,” according to Fox News.
Antifa did not get a lot of support on Twitter.
Stay safe NYC.
Remember that your elected Democrat officials DeBlasio and Cuomo passed the Post No Bail Law.
Thugs and terrorist like Antifa won’t be incarcerated.
Dem Rep Ocasio-Cortez believes subway rides should be free.
Escape from New York isn’t just a movie.#Anarchy https://t.co/3KNR9nF2SM
— UniterOne01 (@UniterOne01) January 31, 2020
Antifa are thugs.
” “The mood for J31 is simple: F— your $2.75. No cops in the MTA, free transit, no harassment period, and full accessibility.”
So you want free handouts, no protection for people in the subway stations, And do you want to beat up cops?#antifa #thug https://t.co/zSyX1yfWZX— Douglas Plagemann (@DouglasPlag) January 31, 2020
@aoc @RepAOC I hear your best buds (ANTIFA) are looking for more of your free stuff (subway fares) in NYC today. I hear your friends are going to be engaged in violence, harassment and destruction. How do you feel about that ? @NYCTSubway @NYCPBA @NYDailyNews @nytimes @nypost
— John R (@Johnr777) January 31, 2020
Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has tweeted support for individuals protesting the $2.75 subway fare in New York City.
Ending mass incarceration means challenging a system that jails the poor to free the rich.
Arresting people who can’t afford a $2.75 fare makes no one safer and destabilizes our community.
New Yorkers know that, they’re not having it, and they’re standing up for each other. https://t.co/asvidIe5zV
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 2, 2019
This month’s action follows protests in November that led to multiple arrests, according to the New York Post.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.