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The protests, which had been in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn the previous two nights, stretched to all five boroughs on Saturday, May 30, and included some of the city's landmarks.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James will review all actions and procedures used during protests in New York City and issue a public report within 30 days.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement after an incident Friday night, May 29 in which an NYPD officer was seen on video shoving a female protestor to the ground in Brooklyn.
On Saturday, an NYPD SUV rammed into a group of protestors in Brooklyn on Flatbush Avenue.
James' review will include a review of both police procedures and crowd actions during the protests.
"We have an injustice in the criminal justice system that is abhorrent," Cuomo said. "George Floyd's death was not just about George Floyd. These are not individual incidents — and you are blind or in denial if you are still treating each one like a unique situation.
"This nation's history of discrimination and racism dates back hundreds of years and it is what is behind this anger and frustration, but violence cannot be the answer because it obscures the righteousness of the message and the mission."
There were protests Saturday in Times Square, Columbus Circle, Harlem, the East Village, Jackson Heights in Queens, the Flatbush section of Brooklyn and portions of the Bronx and Staten Island.
"We saw disturbing violent clashes amidst protests right here in New York City," Cuomo said on Saturday, "and I'm asking Attorney General James to review the actions and the procedures that were used last night because the public deserves answers and they deserve accountability."
Seven arrests were made outside Trump Tower where some protesters refused police orders to move out of Fifth Avenue and on to the sidewalks Saturday night. A total of about 600 arrests have been made in protests in the city the last three days.
"Peaceful protest is a basic civil right," James said. "That right should be protected and guarded. We take the designation to investigate last night's actions very seriously.
"We will act independently to seek answers, ensure that the truth is laid bare and that there is accountability for any wrongdoing. We will be transparent in our findings as we seek accountability for those who did wrong."
James said anyone with information about any incidents at protests, including visual evidence, should email them to: complaints@ag.ny.gov.
"Please share it with our office so we can take it into account as we proceed with this investigation," she said.
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