New Year’s Eve Protests Set To Shut Down Major Cities Across America
To cap off a year marked by race-based, anti-police demonstrations, a number of activist groups are banding together in an effort to stage significant protests in multiple cities this New Year’s Eve. One New York-based organization is taking the lead by organizing an event in that city scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. at Union Square and continue on to Times Square in time for the New Year countdown.
The Stop Mass Incarceration Network has invited nearly 4,000 individuals to attend what it is calling “Rock in the New Year with Resistance to Police Murder” and is encouraging other groups across the U.S. to stage similar protests.
In a Facebook description of the demonstration, organizers refer to “Amerikkka” as a nation in which blacks are the victims of “wanton police murder,” an ill that can be remedied only by activism by those ostensibly victimized.
“So the powerful, beautiful and necessary outpourings that have disrupted this society’s normal routine must continue and escalate on New Year’s Eve and into the New Year,” the invitation states.
Though the planned Times Square demonstration received significant support from those aligned with the group’s mission, some suggested the protesters’ presence will be overshadowed by those hoping to see the iconic ball drop at midnight.
One Facebook user suggested that “protesters should block highways or the bridges like in the afternoon” as a “more effective” demonstration.
Groups are planning similar events revolving around other cities’ New Year’s Eve traditions. A protest in Atlanta, for instance, will coincide with the ‘Peach Drop.’ Other demonstrations are being staged in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, St. Louis, and other cities, according to a list compiled by the New York group.
