The abduction trended on Twitter under the hashtag #WhereIsNikki

On Tuesday, a video surfaced on social media of New York police officers forcefully throwing a trans femme protester into an unmarked vehicle. The encounter raised concerns since the tactics used by the officers closely resembled those of federal agents in Portland, Oregon.

The New York Police Department responded to the arrest at the Black Lives Matter protest in Manhattan and stated that such detainments were not uncommon. They also claimed that federal agents were not present at the time of the arrest.

Nikki, identified by friends as an 18-year-old homeless trans woman, “was wanted for damaging police cameras during five separate criminal incidents in and around City Hall Park,” according to Sgt. Mary Frances O’Donnell.

Critics on social media believed that the arrest and kidnapping were  unwarranted, and questioned why Nikki’s whereabouts and the reason for her arrest was withheld from the public. By Wednesday morning, the hashtag #WhereIsNikki was trending on Twitter.

Councilwoman Carlina Rivera followed Nikki’s case closely and confirmed late last night that she was released. However, with President Trump’s promises of federal agents policing the city, Rivera challenged the NYC Mayor to address the unidentified officers and unmarked vans.


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