NEW YORK, November 6. /TASS/. New York City is being rocked by post-election unrest as demonstrators took to the streets of Lower Manhattan for a second day in a row, resulting in altercations with police and arrests, a TASS correspondent reported Thursday.
The protesters were chanting various slogans, like "Defund the Police" and "Can’t Stop the Revolution." Initially, the rally was organized by the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM) and LGBT activists but it was joined by those who are dissatisfied with the situation in the country due to the uncertainty following the presidential election.
The demonstrators congregated at the LGBT landmark Stonewall Inn and marched along several streets in Lower Manhattan. At some point, the police demanded that they remain on the sidewalk. The marchers chanted "Our City - Our Streets" and shouted obscenities in response.
This time around, the NYPD took a more hard-nosed stance than during the BLM-led summer protests. Police were pushing and hitting the non-complying protesters, arresting some without an obvious reason. While some New Yorkers were clashing with the police, others were observing and filming the events from sidewalk cafes.
Expensive restaurants and stores in Lower Manhattan were boarded up even before the election to prevent looting. Nevertheless, the protesters calmly dispersed in the evening.
Both the police and the protesters have found creative ways to use bicycles. The police use them to shove away and push back demonstrators while the protesters build makeshift barricades out of bicycles to protect the activists chanting slogans.
On November 3, American citizens headed to the polls to elect 435 representatives to the House, 35 senators out of 100 to the Senate, and the President and Vice President of the United States. The November race for the White House pits Democratic contender Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris against incumbent US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence of the Republican Party. In addition, voters decided on 13 US state and territorial governorships, and numerous other local elections were held. The winner of the presidential race is still not known. According to estimates, made by major American TV networks, Joe Biden is in the lead. In order to win the US presidential race, a candidate needs 270 out of 538 electoral votes. Trump has filed lawsuits claiming irregularities in the battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia and has demanded a recount in Wisconsin, which is bound to lead to a contested outcome.