Black Lives Matter protester is arrested and dragged into an unmarked van by plain clothes officers during another round of clashes between cops and demonstrators in New York
- Female protester was filmed being pushed into an unmarked police car during a protest on Tuesday
- Critics claimed the woman was ‘kidnapped’ and ‘abducted’ by the plainclothes NYPD officers
- Law enforcement officials say the woman was ‘a suspect in the destruction of police cameras during five separate criminal incidents’
- They further say the arresting officers were pelted with rocks and bottles while trying to detain the suspect
A female protester has been dragged into an unmarked minivan by plainclothes police officers during another night of unrest in New York City.
Footage of the incident – which occurred Tuesday evening in Manhattan’s Kips Bay neighborhood – was recorded by a fellow activist and posted to Instagram, where it quickly went viral.
The video shows the woman being pulled by three cops towards an open door of a silver Kia as she tries to resist.
A crowd of loud protesters can be seen watching on and shouting profanities at the officers, before one man attempts to intervene and help the woman break free.
Get back! Get back!’ one of the cops shouts at the crowd of agitators as the woman falls to the ground.
She is then pulled up from the pavement and forced into the vehicle before it speeds away.
A female protester was dragged into an unmarked minivan by plainclothes police officers during another night of unrest in New York City. A mob of activists surrounded the vehicle during the incident on Tuesday evening
Several NYPD officers on bicycles quickly cycled onto the scene in order to provide added protection for the plainclothes cops.
The bike police were seen surrounding the car in order to keep the mob of activists away.
Meanwhile, footage from a different angle was also shared to Twitter by another protester who wrote: ‘NYC is taking after Portland – a trans femme protestor was pulled into an unmarked van at the Abolition Park protest – this was at 2nd Ave and 25th Street’.
A third activist also shared footage and wrote: ‘An unmarked van just snatched up a protester on 25th & 2nd and NYPD started attacking us!!!!’
Other activists took to Twitter to share footage of the officers whisking the suspect away
Dozens of social media users responded to the clip claiming it appeared the female protester had been ‘abducted’ and ‘kidnapped’.
However, a law enforcement source told The New York Post late Tuesday that ‘a suspect in the destruction of police cameras during five separate criminal incidents’.
The NYPD also wrote on Twitter that the officers were hit with rocks and water bottles as they attempted to detain the suspect.
They did not reveal whether she has yet been released from custody, or whether she has been charged with any offences.
Several NYPD officer on bicycles were seen surrounding the car in order to keep the mob of activists away
For the past two months, protesters have been marching daily in New York City calling for an end to systemic racism and the defunding of the NYPD.
Large-scale demonstrations resulted in the nation’s largest police department being stripped of $1 billion in funding last month.
At times, the protests have turned destructive, with activists physically clashing with cops and setting fire to their squad cars.
The New York City Police Benevolent Society also took to Twitter Tuesday night, blasting activists for trying to start physical clashes with officers trying to arrest the female demonstrator.
‘Another night, another riot. More ‘peaceful’ protesters assaulting cops, throwing rocks and bottles. More politicians hurling hate at cops for daring to arrest a wanted criminal. They have surrendered our streets,’ the Association wrote.
The New York City Police Benevolent Society also took to Twitter Tuesday night, blasting activists for trying to start physical clashes with officers trying to arrest the female demonstrator