Outrage is growing over how the NYPD appeared to treat members of a far-right hate group at a recent protest over a "Drag Story Hour" event in Queens.
Video shared on social media shows officers giving some members of the "Proud Boys" an escort from the protest at a library in Jackson Heights to a subway stop the final week of 2022. In addition to the escort, officers held open the emergency exit as well — allowing the members of the hate group to enter the Roosevelt Avenue stop without paying the fare.
On Tuesday, the police department said that officers were de-escalating the conflict between the "Proud Boys" and counter-protesters who said they were protecting the drag story hour event.
One person was arrested, but it's not clear what for or if that person was a member of the group.
Councilman Shekar Krishnan represents Jackson Heights and called the move unacceptable, adding "white supremacists act like they are above the law because too often they are treated that way."
The NYPD said it's a tactic they used because the situation could have gotten worse.
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The video comes as the police department and private security have been helping the MTA crack down on fare evasion. Those crackdowns have led to some violent encounters, like one that was captured on cellphone video in East Harlem in July 2022.
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The MTA says the subway loses half a billion dollars a year because of fare evasion. The transit agency also said that in situations like the one captured on video in Queens, officers on the ground have authority to do what's they believe is necessary to control crowds.
