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Long Island joins nation in bracing for unrest amid verdict in Chauvin trial

The nation and Long Island are bracing for any unrest that may come in the wake of a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial.

News 12 Staff

Apr 19, 2021, 8:31 PM

Updated 1,397 days ago

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The nation and Long Island are bracing for any unrest that may come in the wake of a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial.
Closing arguments were held in the case against Chauvin, who is accused of kneeling on George Floyd's neck before his death. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Police are preparing all around the country. In Nassau, Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder says the department has had at least three meetings with the NYPD to ensure they are ready.
Ryder says the county saw numerous protests last summer and that all of them were peaceful.
"We are going to stay the same script," says Ryder. "We did it all summer long. We got through over 300 protests in Nassau County, over 60,000 people have come through, and we had two additional protests just this weekend. Our idea is to deescalate the situation, engage the head person whoever is running that protest and then of course engage the group."
Ryder says they have a great working relationship with the groups holding the protests.
Rachel Hu, of LI United to Transform Policing and Community Safety says 10,000 people marched last year on Sunrise Highway and says that kind of energy will be seen again.
"I can guarantee you there are going to be millions of people in the streets across the country if Chauvin doesn't get held accountable because people are going to be so incensed by the lack of justice, they're definitely going to escalate as well," says Hu.
The Suffolk Police Department released a statement saying, "The Suffolk County Police Department is not presently aware of any protests related to the potential verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. Our department supports the rights of our residents to peacefully protest a cause, as we have demonstrated during the past year as we policed 268 events with thousands of participants. Officers are prepared to intervene to prevent unlawful activity that could cause injuries or property damage."
As for the NYPD, it has implemented a no scheduled time off policy.
The NYPD issued a statement saying, "The NYPD works around the clock to keep New Yorkers safe. The Department has prepared for this for many months, and has examined, adapted, and adjusted our response to protests. This includes more training for police officers in protecting and facilitating demonstrations and marches, and also examining which units within the department we can utilize more such as Community Affairs. The NYPD protects the Constitutional right to peaceful protest and works to ensure public safety for every New Yorker exercising their First Amendment rights."