Hundreds attend ‘Occupy City Hall’ protest in New York to advocate for police department budget cuts

Large swaths of protesters gathered and camped outside New York City Hall as part of a “Occupy City Hall” protest Friday through Saturday morning, according to The Associated Press.

The protests follow a week of protests and lawsuits by lawmakers to cut the New York Police Department (NYPD) budget.

Earlier this week, a camp was formed outside of City Hall Park, in lower Manhattan, following mounting calls to end police brutality and racial injustice. Protesters across the country have advocated for police reform after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody in late May.

The name “Occupy City Hall” dates back to the 2010 “Occupy Wall Street” movement that occurred in Zuccotti Park, just a few blocks from the current camp.

On Saturday, protesters sat, danced, and occupied the space outside City Hall to demand that city lawmakers take steps to enact police reforms.

NYC ‘Occupy City Hall’ Protest Demands NYP Budget Cuts https://t.co/ggvAgZeBiX pic.twitter.com/kA1fl7hu4z

– TIME (@TIME) June 27, 2020

The protesters who met Saturday are part of a national “police recall” movement that seeks to take some funds from law enforcement and allocate them to other city programs like housing and education.

Supporters of the disbursement plans request that the City Council hack at least $ 1 billion from the NYPD’s $ 6 billion budget. The protests come as the city is ready to start working on a new budget next week.

Police force officials warned that if budgets were cut, it would happen at the same time that the city is seeing an increase in shootings in recent weeks.

According to the New York Post, authorities reported 125 shooting incidents in the first three weeks of June alone.

Mayor Bill de BlasioBill de BlasioMore than 15 New York correctional officers will be disciplined after the death of a trans inmate on Riker’s Island Hundreds attend the ‘Occupy City Hall’ protest in New York to advocate for police department budget cuts Sometimes it makes sense common overcomes a demand for freedoms MORE (D) has promised to cut the police budget, but has not yet revealed how much money will be diverted.

“We need security and justice. We need security and justice. We have to do both,” de Blasio said.

Floyd, an unarmed black man, died on Memorial Day in Minneapolis, while a former officer knelt on his neck for several minutes until he did not respond.