New York protesters take to the streets after Tyre Nichols beating video posted

Protesters took to the streets of New York on Friday evening to express their outrage at Tyre Nichols being beaten to death by police after a video of the violent confrontation was made public.

Several different demonstrations broke out in the Big Apple, including those in Union Square, Times Square, and Grand Central Station.

The protests seemed to remain peaceful early Friday evening, but in Union Square, Black Lives Matter leader Hawk Newsom warned that violence was not out of the question.

“Were they peaceful when they trampled Brother Nichols on the head when they beat him with that club?” Newsom told a crowd of dozens of people.

“Were they peaceful with Rodney King, were they peaceful with George Floyd, Eric Garner?”

“But they want us to always be peaceful,” the activist continued. “I’m not telling you to come here and go crazy, but we never take violence off the fucking table. Because it’s the language of America.”

According to footage posted on Twitter shortly before 6:00 pm, another small protest was taking place inside Grand Central Station. Demonstrators called for the closure of Rikers Island, holding banners in memory of Nichols and other blacks killed in clashes with police.

“Only a revolution can bring justice!” part of one character is read.

Learn more about the Post’s coverage of Tyre Nichols’ beating death.

Footage posted online from Times Square, where another protest was expected, shows police arresting a man after he confronted officers. It is unclear if the man was associated with any of the protests.

Nichols died earlier this month after being pulled over by police, and five police officers involved in the traffic stop were charged with murder on Thursday.

The death of the 29-year-old black man drew condemnation from leaders across the country as they call for peaceful demonstrations after the release of graphic footage showing Nichols being beaten and tased by all-black police officers.