NYPD: Four arrested after crowd disrupts traffic in Manhattan

Four people were arrested and eight more issued summonses for disorderly conduct Saturday night in Manhattan after a Black Lives Matter protest, according to the NYPD and video posted on Twitter.

Police said they were called to a "large disorderly group obstructing vehicular traffic in the vicinity of 10 Street and Hudson Street" about 8:20 p.m., a police spokeswoman said. Three men and five women were issued summonses for disorderly conduct.

Video on Twitter showed NYPD officers rushing into a crowd of protesters gathered near a pedestrian island in the West Village.

Four others were arrested and face charges, including assault on a police officer and resisting arrest, officials said. It is unclear from the video what prompted police to arrest the individuals.

A prerecorded police message warned against blocking pedestrian or roadway traffic as officers moved in and handcuffed some in the crowd. Officers knocked over a restaurant stool as they apprehended one protester.

The protesters had previously marched to the nearby Sixth Precinct after police shut down what they called a peaceful gathering in Washington Square Park, according to news reports.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) tweeted that his office was in contact with the NYPD regarding what he described as the use of force against citizens.

"But we’re exhausted of seeing video after video, and hearing from constituents in person, of inexplicable escalations that undermine an already fragile trust," Hoylman wrote.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.