NYC speakout against brutal NYPD attacks after the National Puerto Rican Day Parade

BROOKLYN, NY — On the evening of June 11, over 100 New Yorkers gathered near the New York Police Department 83rd Precinct in Bushwick for a speakout hosted by Boricua – meaning a native of Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican descent – and community organizations including Juventud Unida por la Independencia (JUPI) and Adolfina NYC.

The speakout was a response to a brutal attack by the NYPD at The Bush and Mood Ring bars after the National Puerto Rican Day Parade on June 8. At around 8 p.m. on June 8, officers from the 83rd Precinct raided The Bush. Speakout organizers stated it was no accident that the NYPD targeted a lesbian bar during Pride Month. The unprovoked attack left several in the hospital. The NYPD denied patients any contact with the outside world, surveilling those receiving treatment.

In the early morning of June 9, Mood Ring hosted a bombazo, a performance of bomba, which was organized by Boricua organizers and cultural workers. Bomba is a music and dance tradition from Borikén that combines the traditions of indigenous and enslaved peoples. Bomba became an expression of resistance to enslavement, colonialism and imperialism.

Like the attack at The Bush, the NYPD entered the building without warning and immediately escalated to physical violence. They targeted performers and instruments, injuring attendees on their way to the stage. Organizers took immediate action to protect community members and unarrest people. As a result, even though nearly 100 police officers participated in the raids, only six people were arrested. Three were released in the early morning and three were transferred to the courthouse. One was held for almost 36 hours, in violation of New York State law.

The June 11 speakout began with a call-and-response performance of plena, a Boricua music and dance tradition influenced by bomba. Organizers then delivered an official statement and demands before inviting community members to speak. Speakers from other organizations, including a vendor from Bushwick and a member of the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NYAARPR), made statements of solidarity.

The speaker from the New York Alliance connected the 83rd Precinct’s brutality to the 2023 killing of 78-year-old Caesar Robinson. Two officers from the 83rd Precinct shot Robinson seven times at his own apartment, despite being called there on his behalf. The Alliance speakers also contextualized the attacks within the wider increase in repression urged on by the Trump administration. The NYPD’s escalation of violence has disproportionately harmed protesters and marginalized New Yorkers.

Other speakers included a member of the community who was born in Bushwick but had been displaced due to gentrification. He said he was proud to continue to be part of the Boricua community in Bushwick and urged community members to join the linked struggles against gentrification, xenophobia and police brutality.

The organizers’ seven demands are to: drop all charges; release all footage with the faces non-police individuals blurred out; release the names and disciplinary records of all officers involved; set up a community oversight board to independently investigate the use of excessive force; compensate community members for their medical bills, legal fees and trauma; release a public apology from the NYPD, the office of the mayor, and the city council, and, finally, remove the NYPD from parade celebrations.

JUPI, Adolfina NYC, and other Boricua and community organizations will continue to build a campaign in response to the attacks.

#BrooklynNY #NY #InJusticeSystem #StopPoliceCrimes