Protester accuses police of sexual assault, public humiliation at Brooklyn Bridge march

(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

By Curtis Brodner

(NEW YORK) A racial justice protester says she was sexually assaulted, stripped and forced to stand naked at a demonstration on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Brooklyn Paper reported.

Maila Beach and her lawyer, who is a candidate for Manhattan district attorney, held a press conference Thursday to address the allegations against the New York Police Department officers who pepper sprayed, beat and arrested protesters on April 24 at the Brooklyn Bridge.

Protesters started to cross the bridge as part of a march against police violence. Police blockaded the bridge and forced the demonstrators to retreat. As the protesters moved back, police began making arrests as other officers pepper sprayed, tackled and shoved demonstrators.

It was during this wave of arrests that Beach says she was sexually assaulted and publically humiliated.

“I could feel the front of my shirt being pulled up. At first, I was stunned and thought it was okay, that they didn’t mean to. I shouted: ‘you are taking off my shirt,’” said Beach. “Then I felt it being pulled past my chest and realized they are pulling off my shirt. I started panicking and screaming as loud as I could that they were taking off my shirt. I started to try and pull down my shirt, but I was met with yells of ‘stop resisting.’”

Beach says that as she struggled to stay clothed an officer struck her in the back of the head and zip tied her hands behind her back.

When police pulled her to her feet, an officer pulled down her pants before parading her in front of a crowd of hundreds of officers and demonstrators to a police van, according to Beach.

“Then they made me stand there and wait naked for about 10 minutes,” said Beach at the press conference.

She intends to take legal action against the NYPD, according to Tahanie Aboushi, Beach's lawyer.

Aboushi is a civil rights lawyer and candidate for Manhattan district attorney.

The NYPD tacitly acknowledged Beach became undressed during her arrest, but says no officers were at fault.

“A preliminary review of the incident indicates that officers made every effort to ensure the individual remained clothed during the arrest, including asking for the assistance of a female officer in the process,” the NYPD said in a statement.

Beach received a summons for blocking the roadway after her arrest, according to police.

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