McCarren Park has been the site for several vigils protesting police brutality and calling for change.
UPDATED on 06.10.2020
To call attention to police brutality and racial injustice that persists in the justice system, for the past several evenings a peaceful protest has filled McCarren Park. An estimated 2000 people participated in the Black Lives Matter vigil on June 1 and it is possible even more will show up for tonight’s and any to take place in the future.
Prior to Sunday’s vigil a protest march went up and down Bedford Avenue.
In addition to being in the vigil realm of protest, participants seem to be minding a respectful distance, wearing masks and generally keeping to COVID-19 best practices.
The June 2nd McCarren Park protest will begin at 7 p.m.
The time was moved up to accommodate the 8 p.m. –5 a.m. citywide curfew Mayor Bil de Blasio initiated to span June 2–7. Essential workers are exempt from observing this curfew.
De Blasio stated on Twitter, “These protests have power and meaning. But as the night wears on we are seeing groups use them to incite violence and destroy property. Our first priority is keeping people safe.”
An 11 p.m. curfew was set for June 1, but due to looting in midtown and other areas that began before the Monday night curfew the mayor decided to set the curfew at an earlier time. Over 700 arrests were made.
Throughout the week vigils and marches took over parks and streets in North Brooklyn. Some of the protests broke curfew and there were some arrests and videos posted on social media documented some excessive use of force via the NYPD.
As the days under curfew went on and the protests were for the most part law-abiding, Mayor de Blasio ended the curfew a day early on Sunday, June 7th.
The Greenline 