An SUV driver sped into a crowd of cyclist protesters demonstrating against police brutality in Manhattan on Saturday evening, sending two to the hospital, according to video, witnesses, and the FDNY.
In a video taken by one of the protesters, a crowd of cyclists can be seen biking south on Fifth Avenue when the driver of a black SUV sped through the group of protesters, honking as the driver mowed through the group.
The video then shows at least three bikes strewn through the street as protesters yell for a medic and tend to the protesters who were struck.
Emergency medical personnel transported two people to nearby hospitals after the crash at West 25th Street and Fifth Avenue shortly before 7:30 p.m., according to the FDNY.
Street Riders NYC, which organized Saturday's "Justice Ride," said in an Instagram story the driver was parked on Fifth Avenue when he "exited his vehicle to initiate physical confrontation against us."
"It began with insults, racial slurs, and threats against our volunteers and riders, culminating with him using his vehicle as a weapon against us," the Instagram story from Sunday morning said.
The driver used the n-word against volunteers and physically got out and clenched his fists, saying "get the strap," seeming to reference a firearm, according to Street Riders organizer Peter Kerre. The driver's passenger was trying to restrain him as well, Kerre said.
"The black SUV came flying down," Kerre told Gothamist. A woman who was injured had her arm put in a sling before ambulances arrived, and another man was sore after being clipped by the vehicle, Kerre said.
"There was so much rage and anger," Kerre said. "He was just out to harm people."
A passerby walking on his way home from work told Gothamist he heard a loud screeching sound during the protest.
"The car was a black SUV," said the passerby, who declined to be named. "It kept speeding southbound."
Bike protesters chased after the driver, while others went to the hospital to secure the injured individuals' bikes for them, according to Kerre.
It was unclear if an arrest had been made as of Sunday morning. The NYPD did not immediately respond to questions.
Dozens of drivers have been utilizing their vehicles as weapons against protesters across the country in recent months. USAToday reported there have been at least 104 incidents between May 27th and September 5th, including some by police officers.
In NYC, police vehicles drove into a crowd of protesters in May. Another driver, who appeared to be a pro-Trump supporter, plowed through protesters in Times Square early last month. An off-duty MTA employee drove through demonstrators in July, injuring one person.
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October 04, 2020 at 10:13PM
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Video Shows SUV Driver Speeding Into Crowd Of Protesters On Bikes In NYC - Gothamist
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