i was out today 4-7pm, cops surrounding us marching with full riot gear, batons, shields, tasers, the works, and following the march were at least 15 NYPD vans. i kept wondering, what are they waiting for??

they were waiting for the FUCKING CURFEW. as soon as 8pm hits, everyone--EVERYONE--on the street is a criminal, because you’re out past curfew. if you’re out after 8pm, you’re breaking the law. you’re a criminal,  and if you’re a criminal, the cops can do anything to you that they want. it is literally night and day. i left today’s march before the curfew, with zero violence from police, but as soon as night fell, suddenly those very same cops got out their batons and tripped up everyone they could find. 

the curfew exists SOLELY to give the NYPD a cover for arrests, beatings, stealing people’s bicycles, paper spray, tear gas, any of the violent things those motherfuckers fantasize about doing every single hour of the day.

and when you see people argue, “oh if they didn’t want to be arrested, they shouldn’t have been out past curfew” THAT’S THE FUCKING POINT. it’s a state-sanctioned crack down on otherwise free speech and assembly. they WANT to trap people into “committing” “crimes” so they can be violent. they WANT to beat and maim all the peaceful protesters doing the day, and without a curfew, they wouldn’t have as many good excuses for doing so.