Citizen
At about 2 p.m. on Sunday, a scheduled demonstration called ‘We Are The People, Freedom Rally’ took place protesting the migrant crisis at Gracie Mansion. At its most crowded, the group – led by Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa – had approximately 100 demonstrators. There were also about 50 counter protestors at the scene.
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Sliwa criticized Mayor Adams for saying he’d have migrant families live at Gracie Mansion if he could while later stating it would not actually be legal for him to do that.
The demonstration ran until about 4:30 p.m., and at one point the clash became violent, with several punches thrown and six individuals arrested (though only five of those individuals were charged). Curtis Sliwa was one of them.
One officer sustained a minor hand injury while making an apprehension. No other injuries were reported.
Citizen
NYPD officials tell East Side Feed that Sliwa was arrested on charges of Obstructing Governmental Administration and Disorderly Conduct.
Jennifer Hansen, 31, was also arrested on charges of Assault and Resisting Arrest, while 32-year-old Andrew Hallinan was arrested for Assault on a Police Officer/Fireman/EMT, Resisting Arrest, Obstructing Governmental Administration and Assault.
In addition, 81-year-old Collette Rottenstreich and 80-year-old Luis Menchaca were both arrested on charges of Obstructing Governmental Administration and Disorderly Conduct.
“New Yorkers are weary of bearing the brunt of this national crisis, and we empathize with their concerns,” said a spokesperson for Mayor Adams, who told East Side Feed they have looked at more than 3,000 sites and all options remain on the table. “With more than 100,000 asylum seekers that have come through our intake system since spring 2022 and hundreds more continuing to arrive in our city asking for shelter daily, New York City has been left largely alone to deal with a national crisis that demands difficult decision-making. We have opened 206 sites, including 15 large-scale humanitarian relief centers, and are constantly searching for new places to provide asylum seekers with the shelter they are asking for. But let’s be clear: This situation demands a broader state and national solution.”
