In response to the killing of George Floyd in May, a community of Black Queer and Black Trans Activists led by two Black transgender women, Joel Rivera and Andy Jean, have been protesting by the Stonewall Inn and marching in the city since June 2020.
Marchers gathered two days after the 2020 presidential election, on Thursday, November 5. The gathering in celebration of Black transgender and queer identities was called “We Choose Freedom” on social media.
Spurred by the uncertainty of the election results, the protest highlighted a sense of deep distrust in the social system. The social caption of the Instagram post announcing the event displayed doubts about a future Biden/Harris administration and claimed “Abolition is Liberation.”
Participant and organizer Andy Jean told the Free Press via social media that the idea of abolition means “the need to create a new system, a new way to approach public safety that doesn’t terrorize the marginalized communities.”
At the corner of Christopher st and 7th Avenue, while people clapped and drummed, Jean arrived wearing a greenish-blue gown that stretched to her ankles. She stood on the steps in front of an apartment building adjacent to the Stonewall Inn with another transgender woman holding a transgender pride flag. Jean expressed her gratitude for the participating protestors and addressed the heavy police presence that surrounded the Stonewall National Monument.
“They are afraid that when we come together, we are invincible. When we come together, all things are possible,” Jean said to the crowd.
Followed by a brief singing of the words, “All I know [is] that we will win,” Jean led several chants including, “I believe in Black queer power,” “I believe in Black trans power,” “I believe in Black trans liberation,” and more.
According to a video clip on Instagram, Rivera arrived in a sparkled silver dress with a pair of long white gloves and carried a blue handbag. Rivera addressed the crowd about her frustration with this election and said, “This election should’ve been a landslide.”
Rivera said she did not “care [if] Biden or Trump wins” because she will still “be a Black trans woman no matter who wins.”
“The only way I will know for sure that my life matters is that this system is abolished,” Rivera told the crowd. “There are no good politicians in a racist system.”
The event gained the attention of over a dozen media outlets and the New York Police Department. Before the protest began, multiple police cars were parked along the streets. Groups of police officers wearing helmets stood by the Christopher St. subway station and outside of a CVS. There were police officers on bicycles dressed in helmets and shells from front to back, standing along the bike lane in a single line.
Matvey Cherry, a 21-year old artist who is originally from Russia and now lives in Brooklyn, was a protestor at the event. When asked about the heavy presence of police, Cherry felt afraid “because it never happened before” at the Stonewall protests.
Cherry said that “there is no reason for them [the police] to act violently” against protestors because no one would do anything illegal, but said that if the NYPD acted violently, he hoped people could gather “as a crowd to protect each other.”
Following a series of speeches, the march started moving at around 7 p.m. Throughout the evening, chants such as “No cops. No KKK. No facist USA,’ “Abolition Now, Not Tomorrow. Now!” “You Can’t Stop the Revolution,” were yelled throughout the streets. Jean and other protestors danced to the rhythms of the music and drums played by protestors. LGBTQ+ pride flags and transgender pride flags waved during the march.
A series of arrests was made during the march, including Rivera, who was arrested for possession of bullhorn, according to The Advocate.
An Instagram video clip showed that, as Rivera was verbally confronting the police, another protester was filming an officer with the camera in his face. The police officer pushed back the protester’s phone, followed by the protester hitting the police officer in the helmet, which resulted in Rivera’s arrest. According to tweets from Gothamist reporter Christopher Robbins, Rivera was released early Friday morning.
The march eventually reached its final destination at Union Square with drums and music. “We have nothing to lose but our chains,” marchers chanted, led by Jean.
A video clip posted by NYProtestCoverage on Instagram indicated that a protester clashed with police officers at Union Square and was detained after the protest ended.
Bill de Blasio, mayor of New York City, addressed the protest and police brutality in a daily briefing on Friday, saying that the NYPD is expected to de-escalate situations.
When a reporter questioned the effectiveness of the implementation of de-escalation, Mayor de Blasio said, “Overwhelmingly, what we’ve seen now for six months is peaceful protest managed peacefully by NYPD. That’s just the overwhelming reality.”
Mayor de Blasio denounced violent acts during the protest, claiming that “there is a whole set of tools” to deal with such actions, he expressed support for peaceful protests.
In a closing message on Thursday evening, Jean said to the crowd, “When you leave this place, be vigilant. Keep your eyes open and keep your hearts open because there are people who do not have a home to go to, tonight. There are people who do not have food to eat tonight. Keep in mind that we are very privileged to be out here.”