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J'Ouvert 2020: Empty Streets, Lots Of Cops, And Muted Parties

For decades, Central Brooklyn has thrummed with energy and pounding music in the pre-dawn hours of Labor Day.

For decades, Central Brooklyn has thrummed with energy and pounding music in the pre-dawn hours of Labor Day. Armed with gallons of motor oil and baby powder, thousands of costumed revelers normally pack the streets for J'Ouvert, the exuberant Caribbean celebration in honor of the emancipation of Trinidadian slaves.

But after organizers cancelled all West Indian Day events earlier this summer, and with Mayor Bill de Blasio vowing to crack down on any unsanctioned parade activity, the streets of Crown Heights and Flatbush stood eerily, unusually quiet on Monday morning.

A small crowd gathered in Brownsville on Monday morning, avoiding the normal J'Ouvert parade route For decades, Central Brooklyn has thrummed with energy and pounding music in the pre-dawn hours of Labor Day. Armed with gallons of motor oil and baby powder, thousands of costumed revelers normally pack the [...]




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