Over the weekend, the NYPD was videotaped arresting a churro vendor at the Broadway Junction station.
Sofia Newman caught the incident on tape and tweeted it out early Saturday morning in a seven tweet thread. Newman said, “…as I was leaving Broadway Junction, I saw three or four police officers […] gathered around a crying woman and her churro cart.” Newman went on to say that the officers told the vendor that she had to confiscate her cart and be fined by the city or she would be arrested.
Tonight as I was leaving Broadway Junction, I saw three or four police officers (one of them was either a plainclothes cop or someone who worked at the station) gathered around a crying woman and her churro cart. Apparently, it's illegal to sell food inside train stations. 1/? pic.twitter.com/sgQVvSHUik
— Sofia B. Newman (@SofiaBNewman) November 9, 2019
The vendor did not give up the cart and Newman tweeted out a video of the subsequent arrest and cart confiscation. The tweets have gone viral with many residents and local politicians expressing outrage over the situation.
She kept trying to speak to one of the cops in Spanish, but the plainclothes cop kept rolling his eyes and saying things like, "Are you done?" and "I know you can speak English." Eventually, they cuffed her and unceremoniously dragged her and her cart away. 3/? pic.twitter.com/qVIfN7DO7u
— Sofia B. Newman (@SofiaBNewman) November 9, 2019
State Senator Julia Salazar responded quickly to the post with an assurance that her team was working to get in touch with authorities and intervene on the woman’s behalf.
Our team is heading over to Transit District 33 and I’m reaching out to the Chief of NYPD’s Transit Bureau to try to intervene on this woman’s behalf. Thank you for standing up! https://t.co/aDcS9oQ0IB
— Julia Salazar (@JuliaCarmel__) November 9, 2019
Other Twitter users chimed in demanding an explanation of the incident.
Also waiting for Bill deBlasio to explain why we're paying the NYPD to harass and arrest churro ladies, teenagers, and poor people in the subway. https://t.co/s4n5WUVV12
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) November 10, 2019
The NYPD arresting the *Churro lady* is so cruel and unnecessary.
Mostly poor, Spanish-speaking women who make very little, but make NYC special. This is out of control and yet, intentional. I want to live in a world that protects the vulnerable, not criminalize them. https://t.co/ZU9uihpEK3
— Denice Frohman (@denicefrohman) November 10, 2019
WHO IS PROTESTING NYPD BY TAKING CHURRO CARTS TO EVERY FUCKING SUBWAY STATION?
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) November 9, 2019
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also commented on the video, suggesting that the NYPD should have resolved the incident without a fine or arrest.
No, I don't know what happened before this video began. But what I do know is this: Those who would disagree, I sincerely ask why. https://t.co/pauvD1iRTz
— Jumaane Williams (@JumaaneWilliams) November 10, 2019
there was a doorway right there, and a woman selling Churros who could've been persuaded to just leave w/out a fine or arrest.
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