For Metropolitan Police Department officers, that meant long hours and millions of dollars in overtime pay.

Nearly 2,700 MPD officers worked 33 extra hours each from July 21 to 27. Overtime pay plus other costs added up to about $8 million total, the department told News4 on Wednesday.

MPD officers racked up a total of about 90,000 hours of overtime.

Israel-Hamas War Jul 24

Protesters arrested, pepper-sprayed in DC as Israel's Netanyahu addresses Congress

Israel-Hamas War Jul 23

Pro-Palestinian demonstration held on Capitol Hill during Netanyahu's DC visit

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Removing the encampment led Chain Bridge Road to be closed for hours. 

Only two demonstrators were there at the time of the removal. Matthew Waterman, one of the protesters, told News4 he was rousted out of the tent where he had been sleeping. 

“I hear outside of the tent Virginia State troopers announcing themselves and telling us to leave. So I rushed to get my things together, and I came out of my tent taking video. Cop cars as far as I can see,” he said. 

Friday marked six months since the encampment first started. In May, there was an electric sign alerting motorists of people being on the sides of the street. 

Early this week, VDOT declared the encampment illegal. “Due to these unsafe conditions, the road was returned to its original state to ensure the safety of the traveling public on Virginia’s roadways,” they said in a statement to News4. 

Waterman said he believes the decision to clear the protesters was political.

“On the day of the forced dismantle and raid, the peace vigil (known as “Kibbutz Blinken”) had been present at its location for 183 days, with no security or safety risk to participants or motorists,” the demonstrators said in a statement.

Officials threatened to arrest Waterman as they ordered him to get in his car and leave. 

By 11:30 a.m. the road had reopened. Virginia State troopers are policing the site. A spokeswoman said they would remain there as needed to prevent anyone from trespassing.

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For Metropolitan Police Department officers, that meant long hours and millions of dollars in overtime pay.

Nearly 2,700 MPD officers worked 33 extra hours each from July 21 to 27. Overtime pay plus other costs added up to about $8 million total, the department told News4 on Wednesday.

MPD officers racked up a total of about 90,000 hours of overtime.

Israel-Hamas War Jul 24

Protesters arrested, pepper-sprayed in DC as Israel's Netanyahu addresses Congress

Israel-Hamas War Jul 23

Pro-Palestinian demonstration held on Capitol Hill during Netanyahu's DC visit

Your federal tax dollars pick up the cost.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Live updates for this story have concluded. You can look back on developments as they happened below to catch up on this story.

Protesters continued to march in D.C. to condemn Israel’s war in Gaza, sometimes clashing with police, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concluded his fiery speech to a joint session of Congress.

Some protesters chanting “Free, Free Palestine” tried to block streets before Netanyahu’s address. Police wearing gas masks blocked the crowd – which was calling for an end to the war that has killed more than 39,000 Palestinians – from getting closer to the Capitol.

Inside, Netanyahu lauded U.S.-Israeli unity and praised President Joe Biden. Nine months into the war in Gaza, the Israeli PM was seeking to bolster U.S. support for his country’s fight against Hamas and other Iran-backed armed groups.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan, who has family in the West Bank, had a keffiyeh wrapped over her shoulders and displayed a “Guilty of Genocide” sign as Netanyahu spoke. U.S. Capitol police said they removed and arrested six people from the House Gallery for disrupting Netanyahu’s address.

Protesters have continued to march around Capitol Hill and downtown D.C. for the past few hours, at times blocking streets. Capitol police said they used pepper spray on demonstrators who “became violent” and failed to follow commands at First Street and Constitution Avenue NW.

In late afternoon, a large group amassed at Columbus Circle outside Union Station, not far from the Capitol. Protesters were seen burning an effigy of Netanyahu and replacing American flags with Palestinian ones. Some climbed a flag pole and chanted “Shame on you” as police dragged somebody away. At least two people were seen being treated for the effect of chemical agents to the eyes.

Elected officials in New York City and Los Angeles have signaled recently that they’re open to reinstating decades-old mask bans after several tense pro-Palestinian demonstrations, where local officials say masked protesters aimed to conceal their identity. Republicans in North Carolina recently signed a controversial mask restriction into law, sparking an intense debate between supporters who cite safety concerns and critics who argue it could affect protesting and free speech rights. In January, Philadelphia banned ski masks in public spaces in an effort to reduce crime, citing several incidents of violence involving masked gunmen.

But for many opponents, mask crackdowns of any kind raise serious concerns about their immediate and long-term threat to public health.

“It sends a bit of [an] authoritarian chill down my spine,” said Katherine Macfarlane, the director of the disability law and policy program at Syracuse University College of Law.

Student protesters on college campuses in Florida, Ohio and Texas have even been threatened with arrest and/or felony charges by local police and school personnel for wearing masks.

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of the criminal justice organization Emancipate North Carolina, called her state’s new restrictions on mask-wearing a “dog whistle” to “frighten the community” against protest.

“They are creating a narrative that they know will have a chilling effect on people exercising their constitutional rights to protest,” she said.

Proponents of mask restrictions, however, say they will go a long way in keeping people safe by helping law enforcement identify criminals.

From mask mandates to mask restrictions

In New York City, masked protesters last month shouted warnings to passengers who identified as Zionists to get off the subway. The incident prompted New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, both Democrats, to express support for a mask ban. The governor said she’s begun conversations with Adams and state lawmakers about crafting a ban.

“We will not tolerate individuals using masks to evade responsibility for criminal or threatening behavior,” Hochul said last month at a press conference on public safety.

Adams invoked Martin Luther King Jr.’s activism to dispel the need for masks while protesting.

“Dr. King did not hide his face when he marched and for the things he thought were wrong in the country,” he said. “Those civil rights leaders did not hide their faces. They stood up. In contrast to that, the Klan hid their faces.”

Two weeks later, a violent protest outside a Los Angeles synagogue involving pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators prompted Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, to say she would explore the legality of a mask ban, though she did not offer a specific proposal.

Bass’ office did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment.

Citing a flurry of protests on college campuses in recent months, GOP lawmakers in North Carolina last week overrode a veto by the state’s Democratic governor to ban mask wearing in public, with certain exceptions. As part of the new law, people may wear medical masks in public to prevent the spread of illness, but officers and property owners may ask people to remove their masks to verify their identity.

Republican Sen. Buck Newton, a supporter of the bill, said last month, “It’s about time that the craziness is … at least slowed down, if not put to a stop.”

Opponents see the bans as an impediment to free speech, which they say will have a disproportionate effect on Black and brown people.

“It’s the textbook definition of a law that is steeped in systemic racism,” Blagrove said.

The criminal justice advocate expressed doubts that the North Carolina law is truly about safety, especially considering the advances in facial recognition software and how often people can be tracked via street cameras and on social media.

“It’s asinine,” she said, adding: “We live in a society where we are all being tracked all the time.”

Officials considering mask bans are from some of the same jurisdictions that just a few years ago imposed mask mandates to curb the spread of Covid-19. While Covid-19 is no longer considered a public health crisis, infections are on the rise in at least 38 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and masks, experts say, are a crucial way to lower the risk of transmitting the virus.

Given the steady rise in infections in New York, Donna Lieberman, the executive director for the New York Civil Liberties Union, criticized the idea of a ban. She argued that criminals should be judged by their actions, not by what they’re wearing.

“A mask ban would be easily violated by bad actors, and if someone is engaged in unlawful actions, the judgment should be made based on the criminal behavior, not their attire,” she said.

Macfarlane, the law professor with a disability who considers herself high risk, questions how a mask ban takes into account the safety of people like her with health vulnerabilities. She also doubts that increasing “high stress” interactions with the police will yield positive results and feels it’s unfair to put the burden on immunocompromised people to share health concerns that are not visible to the naked eye.

“That doesn’t lend itself well to a safe interaction,” she said. “It makes me really nervous about the right to protest, the right to attend a political rally.”

In Philadelphia, where ski masks are now technically banned in public spaces, local officials say the city has yet to enforce the law. Legal experts have frequently questioned the constitutionality of the law, raising concerns around due process and selective enforcement under the 14th Amendment. Solomon F. Worlds, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, called it unconstitutional for anyone to be stopped while engaged in lawful activities, like walking down the street.

Peter Eliasberg, chief counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, expressed skepticism that law enforcement would fairly apply a mask ban based on historical precedent. In April, he said, police officers seemingly stood by as pro-Israel protesters attacked a pro-Palestinian encampment on the campus of the University of California at Los Angeles. Days later, UCLA and the LAPD announced they were jointly investigating the attack “to identify the perpetrators and hold them to account.” Then last month, the Los Angeles City Council ordered an investigation into the LAPD after members of the public expressed concern about the police response.

“What happened at UCLA was outrageous,” he said, noting that there were no widespread calls for mask bans after this incident. “There has been a history of discriminatory enforcement of behavior of protests and police seemingly favoring some sides of the debate and not others.”

This article first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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For Metropolitan Police Department officers, that meant long hours and millions of dollars in overtime pay.

Nearly 2,700 MPD officers worked 33 extra hours each from July 21 to 27. Overtime pay plus other costs added up to about $8 million total, the department told News4 on Wednesday.

MPD officers racked up a total of about 90,000 hours of overtime.

Israel-Hamas War Jul 24

Protesters arrested, pepper-sprayed in DC as Israel's Netanyahu addresses Congress

Israel-Hamas War Jul 23

Pro-Palestinian demonstration held on Capitol Hill during Netanyahu's DC visit

Your federal tax dollars pick up the cost.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The source at the university said the main commencement ceremony was slated to be canceled, but smaller events were still being planned.

After a meeting with top university leaders Friday, two members of student government said administrators indicated they are not sure they can hold a commencement ceremony on the main Morningside Heights campus in Manhattan because of security concerns. 

It is unclear if final decisions have been made.

“We know that our students and their loved ones are wondering about plans for University Commencement and school Class Days. Offices across Columbia are committed to ensuring that all ceremonies run smoothly and that all our students and their families and friends get the celebration they deserve,” a spokesperson for Columbia said in a statement when asked for comment about commencement plans. “We will share more information about preparations that are underway soon.”

One of the student government representatives who was in the meeting said Columbia’s administration is primarily concerned about outside protesters and is struggling to find an alternative venue.

The students told the university leaders that many in the student body are concerned about President Minouche Shafik speaking at the ceremony. “Her presence would be the cause of a lot of upset,” one of the student leaders told NBC News.

Other students are worried about the expense of staying on campus until May 15, when commencement is scheduled to happen, only to find out that it has been canceled.

An estimated 15,000 students are planning to graduate in separate outdoor ceremonies May 15. Commencement at the Ivy League school is a venerable tradition dating to 1758, when the school was known as King’s College. Each school within Columbia has also typically held its own individual graduation ceremonies.

One member of the faculty said some faculty and staff at Columbia and Barnard are planning to attend an alternative graduation ceremony on May 16. Another member involved in planning said the counter-graduation will be inspired by the counter-commencement held in 1968.

Protests at Columbia’s upper Manhattan campus erupted April 17 when students pitched about 50 tents while demanding a cease-fire in Gaza and insisting the university divest from companies that they say could be profiting from the war.

Authorities cleared out the protesters, but they returned — and encampments quickly appeared at college campuses across the country.

At Columbia, school administrators asked New York City police officers for help after protesters — including people identified by city officials as “professional outside agitators” — occupied an on-campus building early Tuesday and barricaded themselves inside.

On Tuesday night, police in riot gear descended on the school around 9 p.m. and entered the occupied Hamilton Hall through a second-floor window. Nearly 100 people were arrested, authorities said, including 40 who were on the barricaded building’s first floor.

The arrests have shaken confidence in Shafik among some students and faculty at Columbia. In a letter to the New York Police Department asking for its assistance to clear Hamilton Hall, the university president said the occupation there “left us no choice.”

In its request for police assistance, Columbia asked the NYPD to stay on campus until at least May 17, two days after commencement.

A Columbia spokesman had warned students that they faced suspension if they did not dissolve an encampment that had grown on the campus’ West Lawn ahead of the end of the academic year, and that if they were seniors they would be ineligible to graduate.

“Disruptions on campus have created a threatening environment for many,” spokesman Ben Chang had said, adding that the steps the school was taking were “about responding to the actions of the protesters, not their cause.”

As campus unrest roils other schools, including with police intervention and arrests, Columbia’s dilemma — whether to hold a commencement ceremony but with major safety concerns or cancel it altogether — is one other colleges have faced.

Last month, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles said it was canceling its main commencement ceremony, scheduled for May 10, that was set to include a keynote address from alumnus Jon M. Chu, the director of “Crazy Rich Asians,” and a presentation of honorary degrees to tennis star Billie Jean King and others.

The school had already canceled a commencement speech by a Muslim valedictorian following controversy over her social media posts about Israel’s war in Gaza. But USC said it would still host individual school commencement ceremonies and other related events.

Erik Ortiz, Rebecca Cohen and Tim Stelloh contributed.

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The congressmembers, including committee Chairman James Comer (Ky.) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), were greeted by chants and boos from the protesters.

The congressmembers have been deeply critical of the way D.C. police and Mayor Muriel Bowser have handled the protest, calling it unlawful and antisemitic. They are calling on D.C. police to remove the demonstrators as the university requested last week.

“We’re hearing from Jewish students that they don’t feel safe,” Comer said. “We’re hearing from administrators that they don’t feel like they area equipped to handle these types of protests.”

“We bless Israel,” Boebert said, raising her voice as protesters chanted. “We bless Israel. Those who bless Israel shall be blessed. We stand with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East. That is who we stand for.”   

Bowser called the visit “interesting.”

“The members have universities in their own districts, especially the member from North Carolina, and I was watching a lot of activity in North Carolina,” she said. “It would seem that her energy would be best placed there.”

There are still hundreds of protesters at University Yard and on H Street, and they say they have no plans to leave until their demands are met. They are asking the university to commit to protecting students who speak out in support of Gaza and also to divest financial support from Israel.

Bowser’s office issued a statement Tuesday.

GW encampment

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“We support peaceful protests, and I rely on the Metropolitan Police Department and their experience and expertise to decide what types of interventions are necessary,” the letter said in part. “[…] We will not tolerate violence of any kind; we will monitor and ensure access to streets, parks, and safe and sanitary conditions; and we will continue to be supportive of universities or other private entities who need help.”

The House Oversight Committee scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday on the matter, with Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith invited to testify. Bowser’s office didn’t say whether she will attend, but they will have some type of response.

D.C. police declined to comment on the House Republicans’ remarks. George Washington University has yet to respond to News4’s request for comment.

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For Metropolitan Police Department officers, that meant long hours and millions of dollars in overtime pay.

Nearly 2,700 MPD officers worked 33 extra hours each from July 21 to 27. Overtime pay plus other costs added up to about $8 million total, the department told News4 on Wednesday.

MPD officers racked up a total of about 90,000 hours of overtime.

Israel-Hamas War Jul 24

Protesters arrested, pepper-sprayed in DC as Israel's Netanyahu addresses Congress

Israel-Hamas War Jul 23

Pro-Palestinian demonstration held on Capitol Hill during Netanyahu's DC visit

Your federal tax dollars pick up the cost.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

A Palestinian flag found at the scene was part of the protest, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference.

He added that investigators did not believe there was any connection to terrorism and none of the consular staff was ever in danger.

“We do not see any threat here,” he said. “We believe it was an act of extreme political protest that occurred.”

Authorities did not release the protester’s name, age or gender. The person set up outside the building in the city’s midtown neighborhood on Friday afternoon and used gasoline as an accelerant, Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith said.

The protester was in critical condition, with burn injuries to the body. A security guard that tried to stop the person was burned on his wrist and leg, Smith said.

Schierbaum said police are aware of heightened tensions in the Jewish and Muslim community and have stepped up patrols at certain locations, including the consulate.

Demonstrations have been widespread and tensions in the U.S. have escalated as the death toll rises in the Israel-Hamas war.

The conflict began after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and other militants, who killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel and took around 240 people captive. More than 15,200 people have been killed by Israel’s assault on Hamas-controlled Gaza, according to the Health Ministry there.

A weeklong cease-fire that brought the exchanges of dozens of hostages held by Hamas for scores of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel gave way Friday morning to resumed fighting between Israel and Hamas.

For Metropolitan Police Department officers, that meant long hours and millions of dollars in overtime pay.

Nearly 2,700 MPD officers worked 33 extra hours each from July 21 to 27. Overtime pay plus other costs added up to about $8 million total, the department told News4 on Wednesday.

MPD officers racked up a total of about 90,000 hours of overtime.

Israel-Hamas War Jul 24

Protesters arrested, pepper-sprayed in DC as Israel's Netanyahu addresses Congress

Israel-Hamas War Jul 23

Pro-Palestinian demonstration held on Capitol Hill during Netanyahu's DC visit

Your federal tax dollars pick up the cost.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The protesters had gathered outside of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) just south of the Capitol before several dozen demonstrators got into a shoving match with officers, authorities said.

Six Capitol officers suffered minor injuries, according to a spokesperson for Capitol police. The officers were treated for minor cuts, being punched and “being pepper sprayed,” the agency said Thursday.

The department also confirmed that a 24-year-old from New York was arrested and charged with assault on an officer.

According to Capitol Police, an officer witnessed the suspect “slam another officer into a garage door and then punch the female officer in the face.”

Scores of Democratic representatives and candidates, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, were inside the building for a campaign reception when it was interrupted by chanting outside. Protesters said they wanted to block entrances and exits to force politicians to encounter their candlelight vigil and their calls for an end to the fighting. Many of them wore black shirts saying “Cease Fire Now.”

“Right now our officers are working to keep back approximately 150 people who are illegally and violently protesting in the area of Canal Street and Ivy Street, SE,” police said in a post on X at 8:30 p.m. In an updated statement Thursday, Capitol Police said the group “was not peaceful” and didn’t obey orders to move away from the DNC building.

Capitol Police said the demonstrators “moved dumpsters in front of the exits, pepper sprayed our officers and attempted to pick up the bike rack.”

But protesters blamed police for the violence, saying officers rushed them without warning.

“It’s unacceptable. Peaceful anti-war protesters laid out candles to represent all those lives lost so tragically, and the police here escalated violently against peaceful protesters,” said Rabbi Jessica Rosenburg, an organizer with Rabbis for Ceasefire who recently interrupted President Joe Biden’s speech at a fundraiser in Minneapolis.

The officers used pepper spray on some protesters and pushed the group back to about a block away from the DNC, police said. 

“It is shameful the way that nonviolent protesters and members of our community were met with violence tonight,” said Dani Noble, who came from Philadelphia for the demonstration. “It is absolutely shameful.”

Noble said police, some of whom were wearing riot gear, started “pulling on folks that are disabled or have, have chronic illnesses, pulling people to the ground.”

Members of the DNC were evacuated, and Capitol police asked people to avoid the area.

In a statement on X, Illinois Rep. Sean Casten said he was evacuated from the building by authorities and urged protesters not to do anything “irresponsible.”

“You have the Constitutional right to peaceably assemble and protest. But blocking all entries to a building with multiple members of Congress in it, protected by Capitol Police officers who have lived through January 6 is putting you and other innocent people at risk,” he said. “We were rescued by armed officers who did not know the protestors’ intent; they knew only that Members of Congress were inside, could not leave and that protestors would not let police through. Forcing police to guess intent is irresponsible and dangerous.”

Rep. Brad Sherman, a California Democrat, said he was evacuated from the building by police after protesters began “pepper spraying police officers and attempting to break into the building,” the Associated Press reported.

Video of the scene showed Capitol police officers mounted on bikes and later in riot gear as they clashed with demonstrators.

The groups Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now were among the participants. The groups shared photos and videos on X of people at a candlelight vigil outside DNC headquarters to mourn those killed since the start of the war. They also posted images of protesters blocking the entrance to the building and their confrontation with police.

A major police presence remained at 10:30 p.m., but the crowd had dispersed.

The Metropolitan Police Department said its officers also responded to the disturbance. Congressional staffers received an alert telling them no one would be permitted to enter or exit any House office buildings, but authorities later reopened the entrances.

South Capitol Street between Canal and E streets SE and Ivy Street between Canal Street and New Jersey Avenue SE were closed. By Thursday morning, no protesters or police could be seen.

It was unclear if a particular event was taking place inside the DNC building at the time of the protest. 

“We’re monitoring the situation outside the DNC and are in touch with USCP and Metro Police, who are directing the security response,” a DNC spokesperson said.

This is a developing story. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

One of the men glued his feet to the floor as part of the protest.

Sayak Mukhopadhyay, 50, of White Plains, N.Y., was charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, and Gregory Schwedock, 35, of New York City, was charged with criminal trespass, an NYPD spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News Friday morning. 

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At about 8:05 p.m. on Thursday, police were informed about “disorderly individuals” inside Arthur Ashe Stadium where the U.S. Open tennis tournament was taking place, the spokesperson said. 

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here.

People were peacefully gathering on the overpass above the Cross Island Parkway in June 2020 when Frank Cavalluzzi, 57, jumped out of a vehicle, shouting “I will kill you,” and chasing protesters while wearing a “glove of blades,” prosecutors alleged.

He then got back into his vehicle and drove on a sidewalk, nearly running over the demonstrators.

“A dangerous man is going to jail. It’s a good day for New York and the First Amendment,” District Attorney Melinda Katz said.

The trial lasted two weeks before the Flushing man was convicted on nine counts of attempted murder, nine counts of attempted assault, seven counts of menacing, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless driving.

Prosecutors say Cavalluzzi screamed a number of profanities and racial slurs at the protestors before threatening their lives and getting back into this vehicle and jumping the curb.

However, no one was injured in the incident.

Demonstrators protesting over the death of George Floyd had been in the area hanging up Black Lives Matter signs and rallying after someone was caught on camera ripping one down at the location, the New York Post reported. Floyd, a black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee onto the back of Floyd’s neck.

Cavalluzzi will be sentenced in October. He faces up to 25 years in prison for each victim count of attempted murder.

It’s the second year in a row that the group has planted the national flower of Ukraine outside the Russian embassy gates.

“Despite Russia’s repeated attempts to colonize, erase, and destroy the Ukrainian nation, Ukrainians will never stop defending their right to life and liberty,” a news release about the event reads. “Similarly, the Ukrainian community and its friends here in Washington DC will continue to plant sunflowers, and will never stop their work to keep Ukrainian culture and heritage alive.”

According to that release, the sunflower is not just Ukraine’s national flower, but “a major symbol of Ukraine’s struggle for freedom.”

The flower has historically represented peace, particularly between Russia and Ukraine, thanks to a symbolic ceremony in 1996 when counterparts from the two countries “planted sunflower seeds where Soviet Union nuclear missiles once stood ready,” the Associated Press reported last January.

When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, a viral video showed a Ukrainian woman giving sunflower seeds to Russian soldiers, telling them to put the seeds in their pockets “so something grows when you die,” according to Smithsonian magazine.

Since that moment, sunflowers have played a part internationally in protests showing support for Ukraine.

According to the release, all are welcome to attend the 5 p.m. event at Boris Nemtsov Plaza in D.C.

“The organizers and volunteers for this event include Ukrainians, “average” Americans, and anti-regime Russians; Christians, Jews, and Muslims; straight and LGBTQ+ members of our community,” the release reads. “This event is family-friendly and appropriate for children.”

The event was put together by US Ukrainian Activists (USUA), a nonprofit dedicated to sharing medical and humanitarian supplies with Ukrainian hospitals, and drawing attention what the group calls “Russia’s historical aggression and genocide against the Ukrainian nation.”

Sunflower seeds planted during the event at the end of May are likely to bloom in two to three months, organizers say.

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The report by the Department of the Interior’s Inspector General, released to the public Wednesday, determines that two unidentified members of the Park Police overstepped their guidelines and training in their encounter with the journalists, who were not named in the report. An Associated Press story at the time identified them as reporter Amelia Brace and cameraman Tim Myers, who were reporting live on the protests for Australia’s Channel 7.

One officer struck Brace with a baton and the other struck Myers with a riot shield and pushed his camera. The report notes that USPP guidelines call for its officers to use “only the minimum level of reasonable force necessary to control a situation.”

Applying that standard, the report concludes that the officer identified as “Officer 1” followed those guidelines when using their shield to shove Myers back but violated them later in shoving Myers’ camera. The second officer’s actions were determined to be clearly out-of-bounds, for striking Brace with a baton as she appeared to be running away.

The report states that “an objectively reasonable officer on the scene would not have concluded that the Reporter posed a threat.”

The confrontation occurred during the June 2020 demonstrations over police brutality and entrenched racial iniquities, sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis. Floyd’s death led to days of sometimes-violent protests across the country, with the D.C. protests centered on Lafayette Park across from the White House.

On June 1, about a half hour before a curfew was set to begin, law enforcement officers abruptly started clearing the area of protestors so that former President Donald Trump could stage a brief photo opportunity in front of St. John’s church. The confrontation with Brace and Myers took place amid that push to clear the area for Trump.

The report notes that as members of the Park Police’s specialized Civil Disturbance Unit, both officers had received advanced training “which included using a shield and a baton to manage a crowd.” However it also acknowledges that the officers were operating in chaotic circumstances under murky guidelines — noting that “the USPP policy does not determine ‘minimum level of reasonable force,’ nor could we find other legal guidance shedding light on this term.”

Park Police Chief Jessica Taylor said in a statement that she was reviewing the full report and that the matter would be referred to the Office of Professional Responsibility “to recommend any corrective actions, including disciplinary actions, if warranted.”

The report notes that one of the officers has since left the force.

__

For Metropolitan Police Department officers, that meant long hours and millions of dollars in overtime pay.

Nearly 2,700 MPD officers worked 33 extra hours each from July 21 to 27. Overtime pay plus other costs added up to about $8 million total, the department told News4 on Wednesday.

MPD officers racked up a total of about 90,000 hours of overtime.

Israel-Hamas War Jul 24

Protesters arrested, pepper-sprayed in DC as Israel's Netanyahu addresses Congress

Israel-Hamas War Jul 23

Pro-Palestinian demonstration held on Capitol Hill during Netanyahu's DC visit

Your federal tax dollars pick up the cost.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

The 24-year-old Marine veteran seen on video putting Jordan Neely in a chokehold on the floor of an F train in Manhattan last week, resulting in his death, was arraigned Friday on a single charge of second-degree manslaughter in a case that has prompted citywide protests and national controversy.

Dressed in a gray suit, Daniel Penny didn’t enter a plea at his 15-minute hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court. He was released on $100,000 bond and ordered to surrender any passports within 48 hours. He also must ask the court’s permission if he wants to leave New York state, and signed a waiver of extradition guaranteeing his return in the event he does without the OK.

Penny is due back in court July 17. He said nothing to reporters as he turned himself in at a Lower Manhattan precinct earlier in the day, which was done at the request of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, said one of his lawyers, Thomas Keniff.

“He did so voluntarily, and with the sort of dignity and integrity that is characteristic of his history of service to this grateful nation,” Keniff said outside the 5th Precinct a short time later. He added that Penny “has his head held up high.”

Penny’s attorneys have previously said the veteran acted in self-defense and to protect fellow subway riders from a supposed perceived threat. They say he could “not have foreseen” Neely would die in the chokehold, and have called his death “the unfortunate result” of good Samaritan intervention. They also say he’ll be absolved of the charge.

Neely’s family has said the 24-year-old’s statements amount to a confession.

They’ve been calling for criminal charges since the city medical examiner’s office declared the case a homicide a day after Neely’s death, and hours after Penny was released from questioning by the NYPD in connection with the case. While the Neely family’s attorneys said they were “overjoyed” by the arrest and arraignment, they don’t believe the potential 5-15 year sentence is enough if Penny is convicted.

“Ask yourself: Is that enough? Is that enough for someone who choked someone out and took their life?” said Lennon Edwards at a Friday morning press conference, as the attorneys called for a murder charge instead. “He chose to continue that chokehold minute after minute, second after second, until there was no life left. That’s what he chose.”

Sources said Bragg’s decision to charge Penny was made in consultation with the NYPD before presenting the case to a grand jury. Bragg, who said his office would not speak beyond the courtroom as the case proceeds, said his office determined there was probable cause to arrest Penny on felony charges.

“Jordan Neely should still be alive today, and my thoughts continue to be with his family and loved ones as they mourn his loss during this extremely painful time,” Bragg said.

A spokesperson for the police department didn’t return requests for comment. Second-degree manslaughter is a felony and applies in cases where someone either recklessly causes the death of another or intentionally causes or assists in a person’s suicide. In the case of Penny, a police report indicates the charge is tied to the former.

The court filing comes 11 days after Neely’s death on May 1 and amid mounting public pressure over accountability following the medical examiner’s determination. It wasn’t clear if Bragg’s office intended to pursue charges against two other people seen restraining Neely in that video or if those people had yet been identified.

Witnesses had reported Neely, a homeless man with a lengthy criminal record and a history of mental illness, was aggressive toward other riders on a train at the Broadway-Lafayette station in SoHo. He had been shouting at passengers, witnesses said, yelling that he was hungry and didn’t care if he died. The 30-year-old had been on a special city homeless watch list, considered a potential risk to himself and others.

“Because someone has either mental illness or houselessness or has history of arrests, does not make them dispensable,” said attorney Edwards.

Donte Mills, another lawyer for Neely’s family, disputed Penny’s version of events, saying the veteran “acted with indifference. He didn’t care about Jordan, he cared about himself. And we can’t let that stand.”

“Mr. Neely did not attack anyone.” Mills said. “He did not touch anyone. He did not hit anyone. But he was choked to death.

“No one on that train asked Jordan: ‘What’s wrong, how can I help you?’” Mills continued, urging New Yorkers in a similar situation: “Don’t attack. Don’t choke. Don’t kill. Don’t take someone’s life. Don’t take someone’s loved one from them because they’re in a bad place.”

The criminal complaint stated at Penny came up from behind Neely and pulled him to the ground, then held his arm around Neely’s neck for “several minutes.” An officer who reviewed video of the chokehold said that when Penny released him, “Mr. Neely appears to be unconscious.”

Witnesses also said Neely hadn’t physically attacked anyone before Penny moved to subdue him. Penny was questioned by the NYPD that day and released. Then came the autopsy findings.

Multiple protests have taken place in Manhattan since Neely’s death, with dozens arrested. Protesters again ratcheted up the volume Thursday, after learning of the looming charges, and more demonstrations were expected Friday.

Earlier this week, Mayor Eric Adams, who had been accused by some of not weighing in substantially enough, formally addressed Neely’s death in a public address.

The Democrat forcefully declared Neely “shouldn’t have died” — while carefully towing a line between acknowledging the loss, and the ensuing tensions, and appearing to ascribe any sort of responsibility.

“One of our own is dead,” Adams said, empathizing with the emotional intensity coursing through the city over the case. “A Black man, Black like me — a man named Jordan, the name I gave my son, a New Yorker who struggled with tragedy, trauma and mental illness, a man whose last words were to cry for help, a man named Jordan Neely.”

Adams said his death is yet another indication the mental health system needs an overhaul to better protect those who, like Neely, he says fall through the cracks and “disappear into the shadows.”

On Thursday, Adams again sidestepped when asked his view of whether what happened aboard the subway train was criminal.

“If this case goes to trial, I don’t want to talk about changing venues, tainted with the police,” the Democratic mayor said.

As for Neely’s death itself, Adams added, “We need to make sure we prevent these things from happening. That is within my span of control.”

Jennifer Vazquez, Andrew Siff and Tracie Strahan contributed to this report.

For Metropolitan Police Department officers, that meant long hours and millions of dollars in overtime pay.

Nearly 2,700 MPD officers worked 33 extra hours each from July 21 to 27. Overtime pay plus other costs added up to about $8 million total, the department told News4 on Wednesday.

MPD officers racked up a total of about 90,000 hours of overtime.

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At least 11 people were arrested, and a Molotov cocktail seized, at Monday night’s protest over last week’s subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely, the latest in a series of demonstrations that have seen mass transit disrupted as New York City awaits word on whether the Manhattan district attorney will bring criminal charges in the case.

The White House has now also weighed in, ahead of President Joe Biden’s planned fundraising trip to New York this week. Calling Neely’s death “tragic and deeply disturbing,” a spokesperson offered condolences to friends and family.

“We firmly believe that the events surrounding his death demand a thorough investigation,” the White House said.

In total, at least two dozen people were taken into custody between the most recent protest and one on Saturday that saw throngs jump onto the track bed at the Lexington Avenue station and block the path of a Q train. While affirming their right to peaceful protest, top NYPD officials issued a stern warning early Tuesday about inciting violence.

The group rallied outside the Broadway-Lafayette station where the 30-year-old Neely lost his life last Monday. It was supposed to be a vigil in Neely’s honor. About 150 demonstrators flooded the immediate area, some holding signs demanding “Justice for Jordan Neely” and others calling for more law enforcement accountability.

It was the first Neely protest that saw tensions escalate to violence, with photos showing blood-splattered faces amid a sea of civilians, police officers and NYPD cops in blue community outreach jackets trying to calm the situation. Police used a loudspeaker to clear traffic-blocking crowds from the streets as well as the subway station entrance.

As the crowds moved, video at one point showed multiple officers piling atop something on the ground. It turned out to be a Molotov cocktail, NYPD officials said. No injuries were reported.

That weapon, in particular, evoked memories of the 2020 George Floyd summer protests that saw flaming bottles thrown at the windows of NYPD cruisers, hundreds arrested and dozens of NYPD officers cited for misconduct. And police were quick after Monday’s demonstration to remind people of what is — and isn’t — within their rights.

“We respect people’s right to protest. We respect their First Amendment rights, but we will not tolerate breaking the law,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said. “More importantly, we will not tolerate people bringing weapons and dangerous substances to peaceful protests.”

Specific charges against those arrested Monday night weren’t immediately known, but Maddrey described the offenses as “different violations of the law.” Some questioned police actions at the demonstration, especially around the arrest of a journalist who allegedly interfered in the NYPD response. Maddrey said the reporter — and others — were warned multiple times about potentially illicit actions as they unfolded, and that police acted with restraint in arrests.

“We understand why people want to elevate their voices and protest. And we support that people have a right to speak up when they believe an injustice occurs. But we cannot have people coming out to protest bringing dangerous substances like this,” Maddrey said of the firebomb. “We just really ask our communities, or people who want to come out and elevate their voices, not to engage in that kind of behavior. They could hurt themselves. They can hurt members of the department, co-protesters and innocent people. And it’s going to really defeat the purpose.”

The developments come as New York City again awaits a decision by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, this time whether to bring potential charges against 24-year-old Daniel Penny, the ex-Marine seen on video putting his hands around Neely’s neck after the alleged F train disturbance on the afternoon of May 1.

Neely died a short time later.

The medical examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide the following day, igniting a firestorm around Perry, who was declared a murderer by some of the same people who hailed him as a good Samaritan for his actions a day earlier.

Two sources familiar with the matter say Bragg won’t make a decision on whether or when to protest a possible case until later this week. They say the investigation is ongoing. Officially, Bragg’s office has declined comment on the Neely case and referred reporters to a previously released statement from last week.

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“This is a solemn and serious matter that ended in the tragic loss of Jordan Neely’s life,” that statement said. “As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the Medical Examiner’s report, assess all available video and photo footage, identify and interview as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records.”

MTA sources say the chokehold happened while the train was stopped on the northbound side and the doors were open. There was no functional camera at the platform level of the station, they added. The NYPD is requesting footage from several nearby stations and asking the public for any witness statements or footage that might inform the case.

NYC Subway Chokehold Death Sparks Debate

The growing outcry for justice has been bolstered by many who say they are angry and fed up with a system that failed Neely, who was living on the streets, performing as Michael Jackson while battling mental illness.

“Mr. Neely suffered from mental illness which began at age 14 when he experienced the brutal murder of his mother. It is a tragedy for all of us to know that Jordan Neely’s life was also cut short. Mills & Edwards is committed to holding accountable the MTA and Neely’s killer,” his family’s attorneys said in a statement last week.

During the deadly chaos, witnesses and sources say Neely was acting aggressively on the F train. They said he was hungry, thirsty and didn’t care about going to jail, but had not attacked anyone before Penny put him in the deadly chokehold. The NYPD and other officials have asked the public to submit any footage or images that may assist.

Penny’s attorneys released the first statement on behalf of their client Friday, saying he “never intended to harm” the 30-year-old homeless man, and “could not have foreseen his untimely death.”

“When Mr. Neely began aggressively threatening Daniel Penny and the other passengers, Daniel, with the help of others, acted to protect themselves, until help arrived,’ the lawyers’ statement reads. “For too long, those suffering from mental illness have been treated with indifference. We hope that out of this awful tragedy will come a new commitment by our elected officials to address the mental health crisis on our streets and subways.”

Neely’s family, in a new statement Monday, called that an “admission of guilt.”

“Daniel Penny’s press release is not an apology nor an expression of regret. It is a character assassination, and a clear example of why he believed he was entitled to take Jordan‘s life,” the joint statement from Neely’s family attorneys said. “The truth is, he knew nothing about Jordan’s history when he intentionally wrapped his arms around Jordan‘s neck, and squeezed and kept squeezing.”

They continued later: “It is clear he is the one who acted with indifference, both at the time he killed Jordan and now in his first public message. He never attempted to help him at all. In short, his actions on the train, and now his words, show why he needs to be in prison.”

Since Penny’s identity was made public, those seeking justice on behalf of Neely have sought to identify the two other people seen holding him down on video.

Mayor Eric Adams has said that the incident underscores what he says is a need to remove people with mental illness from the transit system — a push he began with Democratic colleague Gov. Kathy Hochul in the early days of his administration. Hochul has said she is pleased the district attorney’s office is investigating.

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For Metropolitan Police Department officers, that meant long hours and millions of dollars in overtime pay.

Nearly 2,700 MPD officers worked 33 extra hours each from July 21 to 27. Overtime pay plus other costs added up to about $8 million total, the department told News4 on Wednesday.

MPD officers racked up a total of about 90,000 hours of overtime.

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Pro-Palestinian demonstration held on Capitol Hill during Netanyahu's DC visit

Your federal tax dollars pick up the cost.

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The petition had received over 5,000 signatures by Monday morning, and the list is still growing.

George Mason announced on Wednesday, March 22 that Youngkin would address the graduating class of 2023.

“We look forward to welcoming Governor Youngkin to speak to our graduating students, who we expect will comprise the largest and most diverse class of graduates ever,” Mason President Gregory Washington said in a news release from the university. “Governor Youngkin’s drive for lifelong learning and his entrepreneurial mindset is what we cultivate in all of our graduates.”

George Mason senior Alaina Ruffin launched the petition against Youngkin’s speech on change.org on Thursday, March 23.

By Monday at noon, it had gathered over 5,800 signatures. By 5:45 p.m., it had over 6,100.

In the petition, Ruffin cites what she characterized as “intentional targeting” of marginalized groups as a reason why Youngkin should not speak at or attend the ceremony.

The university’s student government leadership also opposes Youngkin as the commencement speaker, saying in a letter they do not want to amplify the voice of a leader they feel has fueled harmful policies.

They cite Youngkin’s school “model policies,” which would require trans students to use school facilities and programs matching the sex they were assigned at birth, and would require parental approval for a student to use a name or pronoun other than the one in their official record.

Other students at George Mason applaud the decision to invite Youngkin to speak.

“It’s very typical for a governor of any type — you know, Terry McAuliffe came and spoke here, Tim Kaine came and spoke here, Ralph Northam held his victory party here in 2017 — so it’s very typical to see governors come here and do things, and it’s no different to see Governor Youngkin come and do his commencement speech here,” said Joe Szymanski, chair of the George Mason University College Republicans.

Youngkin is the latest in a series of sitting Virginia governors to address Mason graduates, according to the release. Former governors Jim Gilmore, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine and Terry McAuliffe also gave speeches at the university.

George Mason is not the first university with students to oppose Youngkin’s appearance on campus.

In Feb. 2022, students at William & Mary staged a series of protests in opposition to Youngkin receiving an honorary degree during that university’s Charter Day ceremony — a degree conferral that has become tradition for new governors of the state in recent years.

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Protests at William & Mary included a “No Degree for Bigotry” campaign started by students at the university’s law school to prevent the degree conferral, a walkout of the ceremony, and protests during it, according to student newspaper The Flat Hat.

Students at high schools and middle schools around Northern Virginia also staged walkouts in September 2022 over Youngkin’s then-proposed restrictions on transgender students’ rights.

On Monday morning, George Mason president Gregory Washington sent a letter to students in which he acknowledged the controversy but defended the decision to have Youngkin give the commencement address.

“This discourse highlights one of the fundamental purposes of a university,” the statement reads in part. “It is a place to engage, debate, and educate on topics where we agree and disagree, sometimes profoundly. If the Governor’s speech were to be cancelled, it is unlikely that such public attention would be paid to the policies that students so passionately oppose.”

Political science professor Dr. Stephen Farnsworth says that as Americans become more polarized, universities are struggling to find a balance between protecting free speech, and protecting marginalized students.

“As more and more people are combative and hateful in the things that they have to say, universities increasingly feel pressure by the left and by the right and are caught in the middle in these kinds of culture wars,” Farnsworth said.

In response to the petition at George Mason, a spokeswoman for the Republican governor gave a statement to News4’s media partner WTOP.

“Governor Youngkin looks forward to addressing the 2023 graduates of George Mason University — and celebrating their tremendous accomplishment,” the statement read.

The government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu survived a no-confidence vote in the Knesset, the country’s parliament, amid what is possibly the largest wave of demonstrations in Israel’s history.

Mass protests are rocking Israel, and the country’s largest labor union announced a major strike Monday in opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s months-long attempt to push through widely-derided judicial reforms that opponents say will pull the country toward an autocracy.

“Stop this judicial process before it is too late,” Arnon Bar-David, Israel’s Histadrut union leader, said in a televised speech, addressing Netanyahu directly. Histadrut — which at 800,000 members represents the majority of Israel’s trade unionists — declared a “historic” general strike to “stop this judicial revolution, this craziness,” Bar-David said.

Israeli embassies worldwide have been instructed to join the industrial action, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

Despite protests, Minister of Security Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday said that the government must proceed with the reforms.

“The reform of the justice system must not be stopped and we must not surrender to anarchy,” he said on Twitter, according to a Google translation. 

Minister of Justice Yariv Levin pledged his support for any decision Netanyahu takes regarding the judicial overhaul, according to Reuters.

“A situation in which everyone does as they wish is liable to bring about the instant fall of the government and collapse of the (ruling party) Likud,” Levin said. “We must all strive to stabilize the government and coalition.”

Strike paralysis

Flights out of Israel’s Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv have been suspended, as airport workers go on strike, and laborers at Haifa and Ashdod ports — the two largest ports in Israel — have also stopped working. McDonald’s Israel says it has closed branches as part of the strike action.

Israel’s largest bank Leumi is closing branches as part of the judicial reform protest, Reuters reports.

Demonstrations have taken place across Israel for the last four months, sparked by anger at controversial judicial reforms pushed by Netanyahu’s government, the most right-wing in Israel’s history. The planned overhaul would significantly weaken the country’s judiciary and make it harder to remove Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, from power.

The proposed changes would award executive control over appointing judges to the Supreme Court, as well as entitle the government to supersede court rulings through parliamentary majority.

Monday’s demonstrations took on a new fervor and are reported to be the biggest yet, triggered by Netanyahu’s firing of his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for speaking out against the planned measures. Local news outlets are reporting that a whopping 600,000 people have come out to protest across the country.

“600,000 demonstrating is an extraordinary figure. It means approx 6.5% of Israel’s population is out protesting tonight, many having literally woken up from their beds when they heard Bibi fired Gallant,” Monica Marks, a Middle East politics professor at NYU Abu Dhabi, wrote on Twitter. “When was the last time 6+% of any country protested? Genuine question.”

“I call on all the demonstrators in Jerusalem, on the right and the left, to behave responsibly and not to act violently. We are brotherly people,” Netanyahu urged on Twitter on Monday.

Netanyahu has previously labeled the protests an attempt “to create anarchy” and trigger another election. A deeply divided Israel has held five snap elections since April 2019.

Many current and former politicians, military officials and business executives in the country are expressing genuine fear over the Israeli leader’s actions.

“We’ve never been closer to falling apart,” Israel’s former Prime Minister Yair Lapid told lawmakers on Monday.

“What’s happened here in the past 24 hours is madness, it is a loss of control and a loss of direction… It is proof that this government has lost its brakes,” he said, calling on Netanyahu to walk back his firing of his defense minister.

“It is a danger to the state of Israel, it is a danger to the security of Israel. Our home is in danger,” Lapid added.

Earlier on Monday, President Isaac Herzog — whose position is largely ceremonial and apolitical — took to Twitter to call on the administration to interrupt its judicial review.

“For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of the responsibility, I call on you to stop the legislative process immediately,” he said, according to a Google translation.

“I appeal to the heads of all Knesset factions, coalition and opposition alike, to put the citizens of the country above all else, and to act responsibly and courageously without further delay. Come to your senses now! This is not a political moment, this is a moment for leadership and responsibility.”

On Sunday, Netanyahu’s office announced the dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who had opposed the motion, escalating protests.

“We must all stand up strongly against refusals,” Netanyahu said on Twitter around the time of the announcement, without directly referencing Gallant.

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For Metropolitan Police Department officers, that meant long hours and millions of dollars in overtime pay.

Nearly 2,700 MPD officers worked 33 extra hours each from July 21 to 27. Overtime pay plus other costs added up to about $8 million total, the department told News4 on Wednesday.

MPD officers racked up a total of about 90,000 hours of overtime.

Israel-Hamas War Jul 24

Protesters arrested, pepper-sprayed in DC as Israel's Netanyahu addresses Congress

Israel-Hamas War Jul 23

Pro-Palestinian demonstration held on Capitol Hill during Netanyahu's DC visit

Your federal tax dollars pick up the cost.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.