A large group of New York City police officers charged at protesters, diners and pedestrians in Manhattan's West Village on Saturday night, arresting 12 people and raising questions about the aggressive response.
After raiding a peaceful art protest in Washington Square Park, officers rushed the group on a nearby street around 8 p.m., NBC New York reported.
Police said in a statement that they "responded to a large disorderly group obstructing vehicular traffic in the vicinity of 10 Street and Hudson Street within the confines of the 6 Precinct.".
Images captured from different angles seem to depict a small group of protesters on one side of the street and dozens of officers on the other side.
After a message played on a loudspeaker saying, "Please be advised that pedestrians are not permitted to walk in the street or roadway," the police ran toward the protesters on the opposite sidewalk, grabbing people and arresting them.
The police department said in a statement that "a group of roughly 150 demonstrators came to the 6th precinct and blocked traffic" and that officers took people into custody "after multiple warnings to clear the sidewalk."
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