#NYC arrests dip below 200 during another night of George Floyd protests

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Demonstrators clash with members of the NYPD
James Keivom

The NYPD arrested fewer than 200 people during protests overnight — as cops cracked down on the curfew during the seventh night of George Floyd rallies in the Big Apple.

At least a quarter of those arrests happened in Cadman Plaza West around 9 p.m. Wednesday when police charged at a crowd trying to get onto the Brooklyn Bridge.

Another group of marchers was broken up, with cops making an unknown number of arrests, at West Side Highway near the entrance to the Battery Tunnel moments after the 8 p.m. curfew went into effect.

In total, 180 arrests were made citywide — which was down from Wednesday morning’s totals when the NYPD reported 280 were collared the night prior.

Thursday’s numbers, though, were “fluid and more details should be available at a later time,” a police spokesperson said.

Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Thursday morning on CNN that the city was “in a much better place over the last two nights.”

“We’re getting very large crowds, probably bigger crowds with the last two nights, but the key here is peacefully assembling and protesting.”

Shea vowed to crack down on anyone taking advantage of the rallies to wreak havoc on the city.

“We are also going to be very stern in terms of property damage, violence etc. You can peacefully assemble but you don’t need weapons to do that.”