At least 70 people were arrested in New York City on Thursday during protests stemming from the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody on Monday.
A protester in Manhattan allegedly punched an NYPD officer in the face, while another threw a garbage can at an officer, striking him in the head, police said. Another protester was arrested for carrying a knife.
Two officers were hurt during the clashes. It remains unclear if any demonstrators were injured.
There were multiple instances of pushing and shoving between demonstrators and NYPD. Video shows at least one protester being clubbed by officers while others were wrestled to the ground.
Crowds of people gathered in Union Square Thursday afternoon, demanding justice for Floyd, who's violent Memorial Day arrested was caught on camera.
Floyd was brought to the ground by several officers after being accused of committing forgery. While Floyd was handcuffed, one of four arresting officers restrained him by pressing his knee to the back of Floyd's neck for almost 10 minutes.
Video from the incident captured Floyd complaining that he couldn't breathe, while bystanders shouted at officers to get off of him.
Floyd later died and the four officers involved in his arrest were fired. As of Friday morning, no charges had yet been filed in the case.
Demonstrators throughout the country are demanding murder charges.
UPDATE: Minneapolis's Department of Public Safety announced Friday afternoon that former officer Derek Chauvin, the officer who put his knee to Floyd's neck, had been taken into custody on charges of third degree murder and manslaughter.
Concerns over the protests in major cities are multi-faceted. Beyond the issues of police use of force and racial injustice, assemblies of more than 10 people are prohibited in New York City, as the five boroughs fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been blamed for over 21,400 deaths locally since March.
NBC New York reports that calls for social distancing were largely ignored during the Union Square demonstration, as protesters were packed tightly into the park and not all of them were wearing masks.
The protest in Union Square was mostly over by the early evening, though smaller ones continued through the evening in other parts of the city.
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