I wrote about this earlier today. A collection of antifa protesters in New York announced today would be FTP III, a day to protest subway fares by jumping turnstiles and chanting ugly things about the police. Earlier there was some vandalism of the subway system but the real action apparently didn’t get going until after dark. It started with a big gathering at Grand Central at 5 pm:
A giant gathering at Grand Central right now demanding free transit in NYC, and cops out of our subways.
Police just arrested one man for unknown reasons and the crowd surged forward, chanting:
“THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING!” pic.twitter.com/H13UYHUdcH
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) January 31, 2020
There was some shouting when police tried to make space in the center of Grand Central:
#ftp3 #j31 protesters holding a “black power = fuck the police” banner at grand central terminal pic.twitter.com/sees1EDNQq
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) January 31, 2020
At least two people were arrested. The person in the 2nd clip is wearing some kind of costume:
Masked person screams and resists arrest at the far-left “F— the Police” antifa protest at Grand Central. #FTW3 pic.twitter.com/ji8ohUNZ4I
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) January 31, 2020
That person wound up being carried out by four officers (2nd clip below):
NYPD has made some arrests. Picking a few protesters out of the group and taking them to 42nd Street where more cops and police cars are waiting. #FTP3 pic.twitter.com/cqgg67q4vO
— Brendan Krisel (@Brendan_Krisel) January 31, 2020
The goal after the big gathering was to leave Grand Central, storm into various subway stations, jump the turnstiles, and ride the trains to Brooklyn. The mob was told to “beautify your nearest train car + pig mobile” along the way.
WE’RE MOVING OUT – BEAUTIFY YOUR NEAREST TRAIN CAR + PIG MOBILE
@thisisamerica @politico @thenation @motherjones @telemundonews @univision @remezcla @wearemitu @theroot @theatlantic @guardian @latimes @theintercept @LatinoUSA @buzzfeed @propublica @artnet @artnews pic.twitter.com/zRWBLOYmXX
— DecolonizeThisPlace (@decolonize_this) January 31, 2020
On the way out there was more anti-police chanting:
Massive crowd tonight protesting the MTA and the NYPD at Grand Central.
As some of the protesters left they chanted “FUCK THE POLICE!” pic.twitter.com/DPTPPXcQpT
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) January 31, 2020
It continued as they walked down 42nd street:
they don’t need em’ #FTP3 #j31 #nyc pic.twitter.com/LRp55YzzQP
— eric thomas (@justericthomas) January 31, 2020
There was also another arrest after someone wrote “FTP” on the windows of a Rolex store:
Photo of the graffiti #FTP3 #J31 pic.twitter.com/XG2Ysf5tn5
— Brendan Krisel (@Brendan_Krisel) January 31, 2020
When the crowd tried to enter nearby stations, the police blocked the entrances. Watch this first clip and you’ll see the scuffle as police set up barriers to cut off the swarm:
Far-left and antifa members are trying to storm the NYC subway system.#NYC #FTP3 #J31 pic.twitter.com/Gg725ujY7E
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 31, 2020
The protesters who did make it into the station jumped the fare and crowded onto the platform:
“Fuck the pigs, fuck the mta, fuck mass transit, make Wall Street pay!”#j31 #ftp3 pic.twitter.com/vm4JvmKmAS
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) January 31, 2020
The chanting continued aboard the train:
Decided to hop on the ride downtown with the #ftp3 #j31 subway protesters who are overcrowding stations and station cars with commuters in them
“FTP, fuck the police!” pic.twitter.com/6Gxi01uR0y
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) January 31, 2020
There was more vandalism and more arrests (though it’s not clear what this arrest was for):
Another #FTP3 #j31 chased down and arrested. Unclear as to why pic.twitter.com/H4jtgyptKZ
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) January 31, 2020
This confrontation with the police (2nd clip below) was pretty dramatic:
Crowd of #ftp3 #j31 protesters aggressively ask a handful of police officers to leave pic.twitter.com/bH4NzQsntT
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) January 31, 2020
Another arrest:
NYPD arrests another demonstrator #ftp3 #j31 pic.twitter.com/7a5MXbxD4Y
— Elad Eliahu (@elaadeliahu) February 1, 2020
The NY Post caught this reaction from someone watching the protest:
“I think it’s absurd, things aren’t free; things cost money,” said one Westchester-bound traveler. “Asking for free stuff, it’s like they’re 12 year olds. They’re acting like children!”
Why, yes, they are acting like children. But the vandalism, the fare jumping, and the anti-police slogans are all facets of one ideology. These people believe everything should be given to them for free because they are such special snowflakes. Naturally, anyone who prevents them from getting everything they want (mostly the police) is an enemy and a fascist. Say it with me: This is what socialism looks like.
