Black Lives Matter Greater New York co-founder Hawk Newsome was met with a crowd of supporters upon turning himself into police on second-degree assault charges. The charges stemmed from an incident that allegedly occurred during a political rally in Harlem. Newsome, faced with felony accusations, claimed his arrest was a result of political motivations as he surrendered to the 28th Precinct this morning.
As reported by amNewYork, the altercation took place on West 125th Street outside of Council Member Yusef Salaam's office. Newsome was actively protesting against Salaam's recent decision to pull funding from a nonprofit associated with an acquaintance of his. The dispute escalated when Democratic District Leader William Allen became involved, leading to the accusations against Newsome. Supporters outside the precinct, such as Tiffany Fulton of Silent Voices United, an organization aimed at mentoring local youth, defended Newsome, stating, "Hawk never put his hands on William. And I'm here today because I need to tell the truth."
Newsome's charges were upgraded to a felony due to Allen being over 65 years of age. Defiant, Newsome argued his arrest was a "political attack," pointing fingers at prominent figures. "This is a political attack. I am not even thinking about the charges, I am thinking about Al Sharpton and Yusef Salaam using the same justice system they promised to fight against, against me," Newsome declared, as documented by amNewYork.
In a similar tone, during his surrender, Newsome compared his situation to historical figures of resistance. According to a New York Post article, Newsome said, "Recognize this as a step in the right direction. Not only do we fight racism — systemic, black racism — we fight the black faces of systemic oppression." He referenced Martin Luther King Jr.'s numerous arrests as an emblem of the fight against injustice, underscoring his perspective on the charges being without merit. "The charges against me are false," Newsome affirmed. "This person is saying that I hit him, but there’s no video evidence of that. There’s 30 cameras out there. Nobody has a video of that. The only thing that was hurt was his pride."
Supporters echoed Newsome's sentiment, suggesting the charges were unfounded and politically tainted. Fulton, whose nonprofit funding was recently cut, lamented the series of events, saying, "To see this kind of political weaponization in Harlem is heartbreaking." in a statement. She continued, "We are witnessing firsthand how speaking truth to power comes with consequences when the system feels threatened," as mentioned on New York Post.
