As the dust settles on the riots, in which 450 businesses were looted in the 5 boroughs, more light-hearted protests continue and, as Seth Barron points out, there's a good reason for that: The NY State Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have determined that protesting the police is the ONLY sanctioned activity, and the only way people in NYC are legally allowed to gather in groups! 

No doubt, this increases attendance, especially among younger New Yorkers who are sick of not hanging out with their friends. Thousands have been gathering in Brooklyn and in Washington Square Park in the Village, whether they support the cause or not.

Meanwhile, in front of a few city bars, where liquor can legally be sold to go during this time, people congregated in small groups to enjoy the warmer weather and shake off lockdown fatigue, some of them socializing in public for the first time in months.

After the city and Gov Cuomo gave the protesters their blessing to march, chant and sometimes loot and vandalize businesses throughout the city for two weeks, law-abiding New Yorkers figured they were due some slack. Nope.

Gov. Cuomo sternly admonished New Yorkers, threatened to revoke liquor licenses of bars, harass anyone socializing outside bars or in parks and publicly told the mayor that if he didn't get a handle on things, the state would step in and cancel the reopening of businesses and send us all back to our apartments, as punishment (er.. to keep us all from dying of COVID19.)

GUESTS - Talia Reese, Seth Barron