Police officers line up in the streets of Manhattan as a peaceful protest turns violent on May 30, 2020. Photo: Ryland West/ALM

Following violent clashes between police and demonstrators, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has named Attorney General Letitia James to conduct a review of protests in New York City over the killing of George Floyd.

Videos of the encounters quickly spread on social media Friday and Saturday as large peaceful protests across the U.S. seized national attention. The protests against police brutality, some of which turned violent, were fueled by the killing of African Americans by police.

Floyd, a black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer pinned a knee on his neck as the man laid face down on the pavement. The incident, which sparked the protests, was caught on video.

"The pain and frustration, and the loss of life of black people, and particularly black men, we're witnessing once again," said James in a video posted on Twitter Sunday evening.

Some of the demonstrations in New York City were marked by physical confrontations between protesters and the city's police force.

Legislative leaders reported that two state lawmakers, who were in solidarity with demonstrators peacefully and were trying to calm the situation, were pepper sprayed. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, D-Brooklyn, reported being pepper sprayed and handcuffed.

James' review should cover both crowd actions and police procedures during the protests and a public report will be issued within 30 days, Cuomo's office said Saturday.

"Some of the videos frankly are inexplicable to me," Cuomo said Sunday, describing the footage as disturbing.

One video shows police brawling with protesters. Another shows a police vehicle drive forward into a crowd of demonstrators, sending some flying to the ground. A third video shows an officer shoving a protester to the pavement.

"If I was just Andrew Cuomo from Queens, it would be simple. I would say that guy should be fired. Drives the car into a crowd, he should be fired," Cuomo said on Monday, noting that as governor there are laws and processes.

James said she stands with the protesters and will defend their right to demonstrate, but urged them against destroying property and defacing religious institutions.

Apparently commenting on the review, James promised a swift investigation and urged people to forward her any videos, pictures and written testimony they may have.

"The video and the pictures that you have forwarded to me and that I have seen are seared in my brain," she said.

The protests come as New York continues to face COVID-19, even as key hospitalization figures trend downward overall. New York state data shows 54 people died from COVID-19 on Sunday, a rate far lower than earlier this year when many hundreds were dying daily statewide.

Dr. Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, said the infection rate is down, but noted he is concerned about the large gatherings and urged people to practice social distancing.

Several areas in upstate New York issued curfews over the weekend, including Erie County, and the cities of Albany and Rochester.

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in statement Sunday that those moves are designed to limit demonstrations. They would also be enforced mainly against brown and black people, she said in the statement.

"But it isn't the protesters who need curfews, it's the police," she said in the statement. "There is no excusing the police terror we have seen this weekend against protesters. We cannot move forward when the response to protesting police brutality against Black people is more police brutality."

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