Demonstrations in NYC Turn Violent as Protesters Clash With NYPD

Clusters of protesters rallied in New York in response to the inconclusive election result. As the demonstrators clashed with the local police, the protests turned violent and many were held in custody.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of voters this year choose to vote by mail instead of going to the election sites in person. 

As some states kept tallying outstanding ballots, the protesters on Fifth Avenue, chanted "Count every vote!" 

After the team Trump stood against the drawn out election process in Pennsylvania, demonstrators headed toward Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village.

Initially, the protest was peaceful, however, later on, some protesters demonstrated noxious behavior and clashed with the police.

Regarding the riots, NYPD wrote on Twitter that they “support everyone's right to self-expression, but setting fires puts others at risk and will not be tolerated”. 

The police also added that they were “working to de-escalate the situation near Morton Street in the West Village to prevent further damage from occurring."

Video footage on social networks showed arrested demonstrators colliding with police officers who seized knives, weapons, a stun gun, and explosives. 

As a result, 50 protesters were held in custody, and a Looting Task Force was formed to control the situation.