'Black homeless men matter' – Over 200 protestors in Brooklyn demand justice for Jordan Neely

On Monday, Jordan Neely, 30, died after he was put into a chokehold on the F train in New York City. Witnesses recalled that Neely was restrained by a fellow subway rider, after he loudly complained to passengers that he was hungry, thirsty, and tired.

A freelance journalist who filmed the incident, Juan Alberto Vazquez said that Mr Neely was shouting: "I don't have food, I don't have drink, I'm fed up."

The 24-year-old, who has also been identified as a former member of the Marine Corps, held Jordan Neely in a chokehold for 15 minutes. Two other male passengers also assisted with holding Neely down. Jordan Neely, who sometimes performed as a Michael Jackson impersonator, was pronounced dead at a Manhattan hospital soon after.

The explicit video posted on social media, showed Neely lying beneath the three men. He is gripped in a chokehold and pinned down at the arms and shoulders, until he seems unconscious. The death of Jordan Neely was ruled a homicide by New York's Medical Examiner.

In a statement released by the law firm representing the Neely family, it was revealed that: "Jordan suffered from mental illness since age 14 when his mother was brutally murdered".

His death has sparked investigations into the Homelessness Crisis in New York City, with nearly 1 in every 120 New Yorker living on the streets. In the past two years, more than 8 homeless people have been fatally attacked – including 2 who were murdered by Gerald Brevard III.

On Thursday evening, over 200 protesters took to the streets of Brooklyn, New York City, to get justice for Jordan Neely. The campaign was fuelled after the 24-year-old, who held Neely in a chokehold for several minutes, was released from police custody without any charges.

The protestors marched from the Barclays Centre to Brooklyn Bridge, chanting: "You can't stop the revolution". Protesting the NYPD's (New York Police Department) response to the casualty, the demonstrators also held signs that read: 'Black homeless men matter'.

A protestor in New York responded to the death saying, "I think we live in a city where there needs to be more of a thorough situation that we go through when people lose their lives,"

"We need some type of justice in this situation," he added.

Eric Adams, New York City Mayor, stated: "We cannot just blanketly say what a passenger should or shouldn't do in a situation like that."

Urging the public to be patient with the ongoing investigation, Eric Adams said: "The District's Attorney, the Police Department, they're doing their investigations and I am going to respect that. There are many layers to this. Let the process follow its course."

"I have a responsibility for this entire City, and I have faith in the criminal justice system," he added.

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supports the protestors and also criticised the NYPD for their lack of action over the death of Jordan Neely.

In a tweet, she wrote: "Jordan Neely was murdered. But because Jordan was houseless and crying for food in a time when the city is raising rents and stripping services to militarize itself while many in power demonize the poor, the murderer gets protected without passive headlines and no charges."

A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attourney's Office said: "As part of our rigorous ongoing investigation, we will review the Medical Examiner's report, assess all available video and photo footage, identify and interview as many witnesses as possible, and obtain additional medical records."