“They’re preparing for the worst, they have to, especially with what happened in St. Louis,” said Wright. “A lot of people are looking for an excuse to act foolishly.”
Though he’s confident that the NYPD is sophisticated and experienced enough to handle even the largest of protests, he said it’s a touchy situation.
“If they don’t return a true bill there’s going to be rioting,” he said. “Protesting is one thing. We’re talking about looting, we’re talking about rioting.”
Wright said mobile stations and barricades would likely start to go up to protect businesses and keep protesters contained to main thoroughfares.
The NYPD has maintained a constant presence in the Ferguson-related protests in New York. Last Monday, the police barricaded a large Union Square protest with metal bars. Last Monday and Tuesday, police stood on the sides and let protesters chant, march on the streets without permits ahead of time, and block traffic on major streets, bridges, and roadways.
