September 22, 2020

Contact: Jared Chausow, jchausow@bds.org

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

BROOKLYN DEFENDER SERVICES’ STATEMENT ON NYPD’S MASS ARRESTS AT PROTEST AGAINST ICE ATROCITIES

(Brooklyn, NY) -- Today, Maryanne Kaishian, Senior Policy Counsel at Brooklyn Defender Services, released the following statement in response to NYPD making mass arrests at a mid-day protest in Times Square against ICE’s human rights abuses:

“This past weekend, the NYPD continued its escalation against the people of New York City who exercise their right to protest racist state violence. Despite its self-proclaimed restraint and training in de-escalation, the Department is only growing more violent and unaccountable, apparently emboldened by its leadership and by a federal government that encourages its abuse of New Yorkers. Such unconstitutional attempts to silence dissent by the NYPD are not new, but as they increase in frequency and severity we believe it has never been more clear that our City must divest from policing and invest in real community safety. We join with protesters in calling for the abolition of ICE and we urge the Manhattan District Attorney to drop all charges stemming from these arrests.”

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Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) provides multi-disciplinary and client-centered criminal, family, and immigration defense, as well as civil legal services, social work support and advocacy for tens of thousands of people in Brooklyn every year.