Video and Photos of the Last Week of NYC Demonstrations for George Floyd

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Since our first photo essay a week ago about the George Floyd demonstrations, Untapped New York photographers have continued to document the unprecedented events happening in New York City — part of a nationwide and international movement unfolding. Below is what our photographer Aaron Asis of Unforgotten Films says after two weeks of daily documentation of the protests, which have taken him from the Barclays Center, over the Brooklyn Bridge, City Hall and Police Plaza in Lower Manhattan, Washington Square Park, Herald Square, and more. He has also produced a video looking back at the last week.

Lower Manhattan Protest March along Broadway. June 2, 2020.

“What a difference a week makes. One week ago we were reading headlines about brutal police action, organized looting, and the order of nightly curfews.. Today we are reading headlines about the cancellation of curfews, ongoing peaceful protests, and criminal justice reform plans. It has been a long, painful, but productive week — and as we move into the next, we are standing together in the streets, we are making noise in all five boroughs, and we are gathering in historic numbers (even by New York standards) — to honor the lives who have unjustly suffered and protest against the mistreatment of black Americans throughout our communities, our cities, and our country. I have no words to truly express the degree in which I have been inspired by the words and humbled by the strength of the black community — but this is just the tip of the iceberg. This movement is life or death, and we all need to continue to do our part, peacefully and together, to truly inspire change.”

Stolen Lives and Looted Dreams March along 6th Avenue . June 6th, 2020.

Here is what Asis says about the video he created: “There is great power in numbers. The power to be heard, the power to be seen, the power to make change…and we, as New Yorkers, we know all about power. We know how to stand up. We know how to make noise, we know how to make a scene — but we also know how to come together to demonstrate our collective desire for change.

Lower Manhattan Protest March along Broadway. June 2, 2020.

A quick update on the impact so far in New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday a cut to the NYPD budget to be included in the July 1st City Council budget deadline — a drastic turnaround, even as late as Friday. According to the New York Times, “As recently as Friday, Mr. de Blasio expressed skepticism about cutting police funding, even as he noted that all city agencies might face cuts, absent more financial assistance from the federal government. The funds will be shifted to youth services and social services.” He also ended the curfew one day early.