Broadway Honors Eric Garner, Protests Police Brutality

Broadway actors, directors, producers, musicians, choreographers, designers and technicians from some of the most prominent productions gathered in front of the police station in Times Square to honor Eric Garner.

Broadway honors Eric Garner

Their message was clear, stop the violence and end police brutality.

In the video, some 100 people wearing black T-shirts gathered and hummed while poet Daniel J. Watts recited a poem entitled I Can’t Breathe — a reference to Garner’s fateful encounter with police.

On July 17th, Eric Garner, a 43-year-old Staten Island man was confronted by police for allegedly selling lucy’s (untaxed cigarettes). The police tried to arrest Garner but when he refused they placed him in a chokehold, which is illegal according to the New York Police Department.

The incident was captured by an onlooker’s cell phone camera. The father of six can be heard telling police repeatedly that he could not breathe. However, the police officers ignored his plea. Garner died on the scene.

The incident sparked national outrage and the ongoing anger over police brutality, in particularly from the New York Police Department.

The two officers involved were placed on desk duty while the four emergency workers who responded have been suspended without pay.

Broadway honors Eric Garner