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Headlines out of amNewYork Metro
Arrests, scuffles with cops break out during Manhattan protest over George Floyd’s death
Yesterday evening a major protest was underway in Manhattan as civil rights activists march against this week’s police-involved death in Minnesota of George Floyd.
At least five arrests have already been made during the demonstration, which began at about 3 p.m. on May 28 in Union Square. According to sources, the marchers are now heading toward City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
WABC-TV reported that marchers with Black Lives Matter scuffled with cops and threw bottles. An officer suffered a minor injury after someone threw a trash can at them.
It’s believed several hundred individuals are involved in the protest, and as many as 20 arrests have already been made.
The protest comes days after the death of Floyd, a Minneapolis man who succumbed to injuries after being choked by a Minnesota police officer who placed his knee on his neck during an incident caught on video.
Four officers involved in the deadly episode were fired, but charges against them have yet to be filed.
Floyd’s death triggered days of protests and rioting in the Minneapolis area, as activists demanded justice.
This is a developing story; an amNY reporter is at the scene. Check with amNY.com later for further updates.
City Council passes resolution to provide better pay for EMS first responders
BY JACOB KAYE
The New York City Council passed a law Thursday to ensure emergency medical service personnel receive similar pay compared to city fire fighters and police officers.
The law, originally introduced into the council by southeast Queens Councilman I. Daneek Miller, aims to chip away at the pay disparity between EMS personnel and other first responders, all of whom face similar dangers on the job.
On average, EMS personnel, who responded to a record number of 911 calls during the peak of the coronavirus crisis, make around 40 percent less than other New York City first responders.
Emergency medical technicians currently receive a starting salary of $35,254, according to the legislation. While the EMS salary increases to $50,604 after five years, city police officers make nearly $8,000 more after the five year mark.
After five years of service in the FDNY, firefighters make around $110,000, including benefits.
Though the legislation was unanimously approved by the City Council, Oren Barzilay, the president of FDNY EMS, Local 2507, cast blame on Mayor Bill de Blasio for not recognizing the need for pay parity sooner.
“Over recent months as COVID-19 ravaged the city of New York, members of the FDNY EMS were always first on the scene to provide medical care and comfort for their fellow New Yorkers in desperation,” Barzilay said in a statement. “The de Blasio Administration completely fails to recognize the nine months of intensive medical training our members undergo, is comparable to a nursing degree.”
EMS personnel are some of the most diverse first responders in the city – approximately 30 percent are women and over 50 percent are minorities.
In 2018, nearly 4,400 EMS personnel responded to over 1.5 million medical emergencies, about half of which were life-threatening incidents, according to the legislation.
