A Rikers Sit-in for Rise Up

Rikers Island has been at the center of controversy amid allegations of mismanagement, mistreatment of inmates and a lawsuit filed earlier this year accusing correctional staff of sex abuse.

Protesters mounted a sit-in at the city’s largest jail complex to call for the facility’s closure and an end to police brutality nationwide. The demonstration was part of #RiseUpOctober, a series of rallies against abuses by law enforcement authorities.