Legal organizations on Friday called for officials to lift a New York City curfew after videos surfaced once again showing violent confrontations from police against protesters. 

The Brooklyn Defender Services demanded that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio lift the curfew, which came after unrest over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. 

"With every passing night that this ill-conceived curfew is imposed, more and more New Yorkers suffer the lasting trauma of experiencing or witnessing police violence against those protesting," the organization said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Cuomo decried police abuse at a press conference in Albany on Friday and sought to distance himself from the nightly curfews in New York City. He said curfews are a local decision, but noted he supports the city's decision. 

The protests, sparked by Floyd's death, have been fueled by outrage and anger over the killing of African Americans by police.

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement that protesters and bystanders continue to be met with violence and brutality from police officers. 

"Curfews across the state have only emboldened officers to put people's lives in danger, suppress the right to protest, and wrongfully arrest New Yorkers," she said in the statement.