#New Yorkers celebrate Juneteenth in Central Park demonstration

Some 1,500 New Yorkers gathered in Central Park Friday to celebrate Juneteenth during a day of massive Black Lives Matter demonstrations across the city.

Thousands of protesters took to city streets for the third week following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, with protesters continuing their calls to defund the NYPD.

The continued demonstrations come as the de Blasio administrations and the City Councill hash out the city’s next annual budget.

The Council has proposed slashing $1 billion from the NYPD’s $6 billion annual budget, while Mayor de Blasio has resisted that reduction, calling it too high. The legislative body and de Blasio must reach a balanced budget by the end of June.