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Filed Under:broken windows, Chokehold, City Hall, Common, Councilman Jumaane Williams, Eric Garner, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, grand jury, Holli Haerr, Jay-Z, NYPD, Officer Daniel Pantaleo, police, Police Policies, Protest, Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons was among the protesters at City Hall on Wednesday, Dec. 10, calling for change in police policy after the Eric Garner grand jury ruling. (Credit: Holli Haerr/1010 WINS)


NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Protesters angry about the Eric Garner grand jury decision rallied outside City Hall Wednesday, demanding action against what they called brutality and racial disparities in policing.

As 1010 WINS’ Holli Haerr reported, the organizers of the protest released a list of demands – among them a special prosecutor for police brutality cases.

Def Jam Records founder Russell Simmons said he has talked to Gov. Andrew Cuomo about the subject.

“The governor did say: ‘We are immediately going to make a change. There will be an executive order now,’” Simmons said. “We want to see it now.”

Cuomo also met with Jay-Z on Wednesday for what the governor’s office described as “a productive conversation” about reviewing and reforming the system.

A Cuomo spokeswoman characterizes the men’s conversation as discussing special prosecutors among a range of potential options.

Simmons also talked Tuesday with Mayor Bill de Blasio.

At the protest Wednesday, City Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-45th) said protesters are not anti-police.

“Stop telling us that wanting to make the police better that we are anti-anything,” he said.

Last week, a Staten Island grand jury declined to indict Daniel Pantaleo, a white police officer who placed Garner, an unarmed black man allegedly selling loose, untaxed cigarettes, in an apparent chokehold moments before he died. The grand jury decision touched off days of protests nationwide, including throughout New York City.

Hip-hop star Common was also in attendance at the rally.

Organizers at the Wednesday protest said they want Pantaleo fired, and an end to the broken windows policing policy.

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