The head of the Black Lives Matter chapter in New York City turned himself in on Monday following accusations of assaulting a Black man at a political event last week. During his surrender, he spoke about the “Black faces of systemic oppression” and likened his situation to that of Martin Luther King Jr.
Hawk Newsome was seen in Harlem as he prepared to present himself to the authorities, according to a report by the New York Post.
Sources revealed to the newspaper that Newsome allegedly struck William Allen, a Democratic District Leader from Manhattan, during a protest that spiraled into chaos last Friday afternoon.
In the protest, Newsome was accompanied by several activists who gathered at Councilman Yusef Salaam’s office in Harlem. They were demonstrating against the decision to cut community funding for a nonprofit leader.
On Monday, Newsome approached the 28th Precinct of the New York Police Department to voluntarily turn himself in. Addressing his supporters, he drew parallels between himself and the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., while criticizing the charges he faced.
On Monday, he went to the New York Police Department’s 28th Precinct to voluntarily surrender to police. While speaking to supporters, Newsome compared himself to civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. as he criticized the charges against him.
Hawk Newsome, President of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York, in Times Square for a demonstration to announced their plan to enact Law Enforcement Reform Policies and the “I CAN’T BREATHE ACT.” The law would take actions against police violence. (Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“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 said, according to the Post.
“Martin Luther King Jr. got locked up 26 times. Right? Twenty-six times for this. This is a sign that we are fighting,” Newsome continued.
“This person is saying that I hit him, but there’s no video evidence of that. There are 30 cameras out there. Nobody has a video of that. The only thing that was hurt was his pride.”
Hawk Newsome (C) leads a chant during a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Trump Tower in New York City. (Stephanie Keith/Reuters)
Newsome’s supporters also claimed the charges were “trumped up” and “politically motivated.”
In a statement to the newspaper, Tiffany Fulton, executive director of Silent Voices United Inc., – a group that recently had its funding cut – accused others of inciting the chaos during the demonstration.
“To see this kind of political weaponization in Harlem is heartbreaking,” Fulton said in a statement to the newspaper. “We are witnessing firsthand how speaking truth to power comes with consequences when the system feels threatened.”
