Starbucks on Astor Place hit again; arrests reported nearby

For the second night, people smashed the windows at the Starbucks on Astor Place... here's a look at the space this morning...



The Foot Locker around the corner on Broadway was reportedly looted, which explains the empty Nike boxes spotted here...



People also broke windows at nearby Astor Place businesses, including the FedEx store, Sweetgreen and Blue Bottle Coffee.

Overall, ABC 7 described it as "a quiet night in New York City, with looters largely absent."

The NYPD used several tactics overnight to crack down on the looting that has plagued the city in recent nights, including arresting non-protesting groups of people after the 8 p.m. curfew went into effect.

If police approached those groups, officials say, many tried to run. Police say they found items like bats and hammers on those they arrested.

The NYPD is reporting 280 arrests.

And some of those arrests occurred on Astor Place and St. Mark's Place, as the NYPD rounded up protestors, and people using the protests as cover, out past the designated 8 p.m. curfew, which is in effect through Sunday. Journalist Bucky Turco reported what he saw via Twitter...

Astor Place Starbucks pic.twitter.com/sAgYxth0nS

— Bucky Turco (@buckyturco) June 3, 2020

Police move in to make arrests on Bowery/St. Mark’s-Astor Place, beat protester with their night sticks. pic.twitter.com/8rilIYV31p

— Bucky Turco (@buckyturco) June 3, 2020

During a short walk through the neighborhood this morning, we didn't spot any signs of break ins or damaged storefronts ... outside of the AP Starbucks...

Plywood report: How neighborhood businesses are protecting their storefronts

[Photo by Steven]

After two nights marked by vandalism and break ins, business owners have been taking extra steps to protect their storefronts ... here's a small sampling ...



Target had their space on 14th Street and Avenue A boarded up on Sunday, which didn't prevent people from getting inside last night... appears that they added an extra layer of plywood...




[Photo by Steven]




[Photo by Steven]


[Photo by Steven]




[The former Gem Spa via Steven]

Some business owners are also using their gates to share supportive messages...


[Photo by Steven]


[Three Kings Tattoo on 10th Street]




[Photo by Lola Saénz]

Scenes from the start of last night's peaceful protest on Avenue D

Hundreds of people gathered last evening on Avenue D and Ninth Street — one of the many peaceful gatherings citywide against police brutality sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The starting point for this protest is also the spot where several NYPD officers were involved in violent arrests on May 2.

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was at the start of the protest, which moved along Ninth Street to Avenue C and eventually to East Houston... the final stop was the Barclay's Center...

A break-in at Ben & Jerry's on St. Mark's Place

More reader reports are coming in about East Village businesses broken into last night... Ben & Jerry's on St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue took a hit... EVG reader Lola Saénz took these photos...





An ATM on the block was also cleaned out...



There are more reader reports of break-ins, including the Domino's on 14th Street and the Target on 14th and A.

2 break-ins on Avenue A: Village Square Pizza, Tompkins Finest Deli & Grill

Two businesses on Avenue A between Ninth Street and 10th Street were burglarized last night.

The front door was smashed in at Village Square Pizza... not known at the moment what was taken...



A few storefronts away, Tompkins Finest Deli & Grill was damaged during last night's break-in...





An EVG reader sent this message just before midnight:

Called 911 23 minutes ago about a group of people breaking into bodega on Avenue A ... they still haven’t come. The looters filled up a car full of shit, threw the register into the street and bragged about where they are heading next.

And in a subsequent message: "No cops have come. And they’re long gone."

Given the timing of the break-in, this occurred roughly 30 minutes after the start of last night's 11 o'clock curfew.

These are the latest break-ins in the East Village. A group of seven men burglarized more than a dozen businesses late Sunday night.

More post-protest looting and unrest south of Union Square; Astor Place hit

[Photo by Ed Yoo]

The end of the fifth night of protests in the city saw more damage and looting to businesses in the hard-hit area south of Union Square.

Nearly two hours before the city's 11 p.m. curfew, looters were seen smashing their way into the Zumiez store on 13th Street and Broadway. Photographer Ed Yoo shared these images, saying that "it was nuts." (All photos here are by Ed.)



The Daily News has footage of the looters smashing their way into the skateboard apparel shop. They were inside for two minutes before police arrived.

The paper spoke with two of the men breaking into the store:

"It’s not just about George Floyd. It's about people who can't afford things," said one looter, a 22-year-old Bedford-Stuyvesant resident who gave the name Twin Moses. "We're going to sell this stuff back on the street for a lower price. We're getting our own back."

Another looter, who didn't give his name, rushed out of the store with his arms full of hoodies, designer sportswear and skateboards. "They've been beating my ass for 400 years. Now I'm going to buy my own chains. They call me black. Black America," he said.

Further south, windows were smashed at the Gap Women, Kmart and Starbucks on Astor Place...





The Astor Place Starbucks appears to have been ransacked...







Windows were broken at Kmart, but it's unclear if anyone entered the store... there appears to be security inside...







As in previous days, the citywide protests against racist police violence in the aftermath of George Floyd's death were said to be peaceful. However, as multiple published reports noted, as night falls, people use the crowd as cover.

Mayor de Blasio has announced an 8 p.m. curfew for today...

These protests have power and meaning. But as the night wears on we are seeing groups use them to incite violence and destroy property.

Our first priority is keeping people safe, so I’m extending the curfew to Tuesday. It will begin at 8pm.

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 2, 2020