(NewsInsights.org) – According to the US Constitution, Americans have the right to peacefully assemble. Protests often take place across the country, where demonstrators march or gather to support their causes. Sometimes, however, things can get out of control. During a recent protest in Brooklyn, a New York City official allegedly bit a police officer.
On Wednesday, July 17, Councilwoman Susan Zhuang, who represents the city’s 43rd District, was in Brooklyn attending a protest regarding a planned homeless shelter. Zhuang was in opposition to the facility, which would be for single men, and wanted officials to build it elsewhere. She said the proposed location is next to several schools, a daycare center, and a senior citizen center. When police officers tried to reach over a barrier and place her in handcuffs, she fought back. In fact, she reportedly did more than that. She was accused of biting the officer.
Instead of being arrested solely for the demonstration, she was also charged with assault. An image of the alleged bite mark she inflicted made the rounds on X, formerly Twitter.
Zhuang tried to justify her actions after the incident, saying she had no clue how the situation deteriorated so fast. She said she was simply trying to protect an “81-year-old grandma” and asked police to move the barrier, and things escalated from there.
Some of the city’s Democratic lawmakers came to the Councilwoman’s defense, including Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, who serves as Brooklyn’s Democratic Party chair. She said Zhuang was “suddenly attacked by a mob of unknown forces” that resulted in her being choked, so she had no choice but to act in self-defense.
However, other officials and lawmakers refused to defend Zhuang’s actions, saying her behavior that day was “deeply disturbing and unbecoming of an elected official.” Even the city’s mayor, Eric Adams, said he was disappointed in her and he had seen the pictures. “It was a pretty nasty bite,” he said.
Copyright 2024, NewsInsights.org
