Illegal raves continued in crime-plagued Washington Square Park last night as New York City cops failed to impose a midnight curfew.
Revellers gathered around thundering sound systems for another night of drinking and smoking marijuana despite a police order to close the park after people were injured in a stampede when a man starting brandishing a knife and a taser on Friday night.
Throughout June, with Covid restrictions easing, Washington Square Park has been the site of rowdy all-night parties, illegal boxing matches, stabbings and drug taking, to the fury of well-heeled local residents in Greenwich Village.
Shortly after midnight on Friday, there was pandemonium when Jason McDermott, 42, pulled a knife and taser out. A 43-year-old woman was trampled in the chaos and left bleeding from the head.
McDermott, appeared at Manhattan Criminal Court on Sunday charged with menacing, reckless endangerment and weapons charges. He was allowed to walk free on supervised release. He claims he acted in self-defense.
From Memorial Day weekend onwards, the usual midnight closure of the park was brought forward to 10pm, in a bid to end the loud late-night drinking and partying, and limit the antisocial behavior.
The curfew saw violent confrontations with the police, and running battles in the streets of Greenwich Village as officers forced people from the park at 10pm.
This weekend the 10pm closure was abandoned, in favor of the usual midnight locking up - which does not appear to be enforced.
Revellers gathered around thundering sound systems for another night of partying despite a police order to close Washington Square Park at 10pm
Revellers continued to gather in the Manhattan park on Sunday night despite a police order to shut the park at 10pm.
Jason McDermott, 42, was arrested at 12:40am on Saturday morning, after he brandished a Taser and a knife. On Sunday a judge released him without bail on menacing, reckless endangerment and weapons charges
NYPD tweeted a photo of the Taser, disguised as a flashlight, and a knife with a curved blade. A stampede begun when ;cDermott brandished the weapons in Washington Square Park
A 43-year-old woman was seen being carried from the scene by friends in the early hours of Saturday, after she was knocked to the ground during the stampede
The woman was seen with blood pouring from her face Friday night ad NYPD officers went to her aid in the park
Friday night's stampede was just another episode in a troubled park. On Saturday, large crowds gathered there again, without incident.
On June 5, revellers clashed with police attempting to impose a 10pm curfew, leading to 23 people being arrested and eight officers injured.
And on June 11, two men were stabbed during a 10-person brawl. The following morning a 77 year-old cook at the nearby Washington Square Diner was shoved into a plate glass window after kicking a troublemaker out.
On Wednesday, the NYPD's 6th Precinct called an emergency meeting where hundreds of nearby residents expressed outrage over the non-stop partying in the park.
In City Hall on Wednesday, Rodney Harrison, the NYPD's Chief of Department - the highest ranking uniformed officer on the force - told reporters that fliers would be handed out to park visitors reminding them to clear out by the midnight closing time.
On Saturday afternoon, Christa Shaub, who has lived in the area for 15 years, and Amy Heinemams, who has lived in there for six years, said the partying in the park is nothing new especially during the summer months, but 'it's exaggerated post-pandemic.'
'This is an open park, but you need to have respect for people,' Shaub said. 'There needs to be regulations.'
People continue to party in Washington Square Park as Police look on and fail to enforce the midnight closing time
Police cars were parked up by the famous archway as people continued to dance in the park to thundering music despite the fury of local residents
While they think the park is safe during the day, Heinemams said, 'I won't walk through the park at night.'
Karen Bartolo, who's now in her late 50s, has a deep reverence for the park's rich history and said she's been performing music in Washington Square Park since she was 15. Every weekend she was here.
They played music, smoked pot and had a good time, she said. They played music until 2am, but there weren't amps and large bass systems that can blast music for blocks.
But what's happening Washington Square now 'is horrible,' she said.
She said: 'At night time this park used to be the place. But now, people are crazy. In the day even. But at nighttime? Forget about it.'
She added: 'In the '60s, we had our problems, but we came together. We need to come together now.'
Bartolo, along with multiple other park goers who spoke to the DailyMail.com Saturday afternoon, talked about an escalating level of hostility between police, revelers and the park's neighbors.
There are too many 'aggressive police,' she said, but the kids 'are out of control' and egging on law enforcement.
'It can't get violent,' Bartolo said, 'otherwise we are a lost cause.'
In a corner of the park under the cover of trees and surrounded by shrubbery just south of the arches, a group of about a dozen old timers jam out with an acoustic guitar and dance to live Bob Mellencamp songs.
The guitarist and one of the singers - who said his name was Richie - said he's been coming to this spot for about eight years and said others in the group have
