“Blue Lives Matter” Marches in Bklyn & Queens Show Support for NYPD;  Clashes with “Black Lives Matter”

By: JV Staff

Several hundred protesters showed their support for the NYPD Saturday with a “back the blue” march in the Dyker Heights/Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, according to a report on News 12. 

The march started at 75th Street and ended at 86th Street. Many people took to the streets holding signs and chanting to show their support for NYPD at a time when they say morale in the police department is low, as was reported by News 12.

The event comes after weeks of protests around the nation that have been calling to defund the police following the death of George Floyd. According to a report on the amny.com web site, another march to counter the anti-cop vitriol that’s emerged in recent weeks was also held in the Rockaways section of Queens. Many of those in attendance at the Queens march carried American flags and “God Bless the NYPD” signs, as was reported by the NY Post.

The march in Brooklyn was also attended by Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, the Republican challenger to Democratic Congressman Max Rose for his Brooklyn/Staten Island seat.

The demonstrations in Brooklyn and Queens follows weeks of Black Lives Matter protests, with some marchers supporting defunding the NYPD and a few even calling for the abolition of the NYPD altogether, as was reported by amny.com.  The demonstrators apparently came together loosely, no one group taking credit for bringing the people there together.

According to a NY Post report, tempers flared as some three dozen anti-cop protesters showed up just before the 11 a.m. start of the rally at 13th Avenue and Bay Ridge Avenue in Dyker Heights.

Angry words flew between the Black Lives Matter protesters and the pro-NYPD marchers. “You want to destroy America!” pro-cop protesters there hollered, according to the NY Post report. “You are f—ing Communists. Go to Venezuela.”

The Post reported that the NYPD quickly stepped in to separate the anti-cop protesters, who carried Black Lives Matter signs, from the pro-cop protesters, who chanted “NYPD!” and carried signs reading Blue Lives Matter.

A Black Lives Matter protestor told the Post, ” “We want fair treatment under the law and the police has shown that they can not do that.”

The amny.com web site reported that former state Senator Marty Golden was in attendance at the Brooklyn march. Golden lost the last election to Democratic state Senator Andrew Gounardes. Golden is said to be seeking to unseat Gounardes in the next election. Some of those who helped marshal support for the rally came from the local Republican clubs, as was reported by amny.com