Long Island Neighbors Harass Peaceful Protesters, Prompting Police Standoff
UGLY FEUD
A peaceful Black Lives Matter protest was interrupted on Tuesday after Long Island neighbors shouted at demonstrators to go home in an altercation that resulted in a nearly hour-long standoff with police. The small group of protesters were stopped by police when they tried to walk down Merrick Road in the New York neighborhood. In several videos posted on Twitter, protesters urged police to let them pass despite allegations from community members that they were a safety issue.
Several of those neighbors could also be seen in videos shouting at protesters to “go west” and to leave the area due to fears of violence. When one neighbor was asked by a demonstrator why she was against the protests for George Floyd, the woman snapped: “It’s not about that and you know it. Stop it.” About the standoff with police, the group was allowed to walk about four blocks, with the neighbors in tow shouting their grievances.