By SÍLE MOLONEY
A HIVE OF customers swarm the H&M at the new Bay Plaza Mall in Co-Op City. Doors opened August 14, 2014.
File Photo
Some teenagers, seen in various videos shared on social media on Monday, were seemingly arrested after around one hundred of them participated seemingly in an organized “takeover” of The Mall at Bay Plaza in the Baychester section of The Bronx after school on Monday, Feb. 16, at 2 p.m. Norwood News has reached out to the NYPD for details of the apparent arrests and will share more information as it becomes available. In videos shared online by different users, some teens are seen on the ground outside The Mall being cuffed by police, while in others, a swarm of cops are seen flooding the area.
In yet other videos, the teens, many dressed in dark clothing and hoodies are seen storming The Mall, and inside what looks to be a McDonalds, they are seen jumping on tables and generally running wild. In another video, teens are seen throwing chairs inside a restaurant and in another a teen is seen outside The Mall throwing a shopping cart against a glass door.
In another video clip, seemingly of the aftermath of the incident, a window or possibly a glass door of a business in seen shattered and staff are seen inside the business, possibly McDonalds, wiping down tables and cleaning up, at that point, an empty business. In yet another, teens are seeing running / following a group of more teens, shouting, holding up their phones, and filming one youngster who appears to be on the ground getting trampled on. It’s unclear if the person fell or if it was a fight or something else. In another video, teens are seen seemingly trying to enter a store as an apparent store employee attempts to close the door.
In accompanying text included in one of the videos, the seemingly organized takeover was described as a “success” by the account user and in other videos, it was reported that teens were arrested. A flier that had reportedly been circulating online prior to the event according to some shared videos, reads, “Bay Plaza Take Over, Monday, Starts at 2:00 Ends until we get kicked out. DM for more info.” The origin of the flier is unclear.
Snippets from at least some of the videos were shared on some drill rap-related user accounts on social media possibly with the aim of gaining more followers. In a separate post on one drill-rap related account, the account user appears to appreciate that during a Coney Island press conference held the same day as the takeover i.e. Feb. 16, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recalled listening to drill rap artist, Pop Smoke, in prior years while enjoying the amusement rides.
The mayor was announcing the creation of a new Business Improvement District (BID) in Coney Island on Monday, and while standing in front of the amusement park, he said in part, “I love roller coasters. I was on the Phoenix [ride] like four months ago. I’m a big fan of Coney Island, big fan of roller coasters.. also, a big fan of the bumper cars that you can go on, just not too far from the boardwalk.”
He added, “Many a memory listening to Pop Smoke while being in those bumper cars. I would say 10 out of 10 recommend Cyclone [another ride], also incredible. All of these things around me are great. Slingshot [ride] is a little too much for me.” Norwood News has reached out to the mayor’s office for comment on the Bay Plaza incident and will share any feedback we receive.
Meanwhile, young female, Black TikTok user, who has over 36,000 followers, and 4.3 million likes on her account, took to social media late on Monday night to berate those who participated in the apparent takeover. Her video heading read, “Bay Plaza Takeover is Sherm & if you’re going, you’re embarrassing.” It was followed by several crying emojis.
According to Google, Sherm is a slang word that can be used as a derogatory term for a “degenerate” or someone not worthy of respect or it can refer to a marijuana cigarette or tobacco cigarette dipped in liquid PCP (phencyclidine) or sometimes embalming fluid, a potent, dangerous street drug known to cause severe hallucinations and violent behavior. The term originates from Nat Sherman cigarettes.
The young user said in part in an accompanying video, “Why don’t we have sh*t in The Bronx? This is why, Bro! This is now the second time that y’all have done this sh*t! Are y’all aware that there’s a reason that that is one of the only malls we have in The Bronx? Are y’all aware that there’s nothing to do here for a reason?”
She continued, “Y’all wonder why people say ‘Oh the [inaudible / Sky zone?] isn’t going to last long.’ This is why! Why’s there no places for kids to hang out? This is why! People don’t want to run afterschool programs and places for kids because y’all act like this, Bro! For no reason.. Y’all play exactly into the stereotype and it’s sad, Bro! A bunch of Black and brown kids going to raid the f*cking mall… that’s embarrassing as f*ck! Where are y’all parents, Bro? Y’all parents need to get in trouble for this, I’m sorry.”
She continued, “These kids nowadays got a mind of their own but nah, their parents need to start getting in trouble for this sh*t so they can really start to crack down on these motherf*ckers. Y’all are sherm! You are as childish as f*ck. If you’re going to go raid that mall, you are childish. Nobody with any common sense or even the smallest bit of smarts is going to go do that. Y’all broke through the movie theater last year. Y’all robbed stores, Y’all broke store windows, all of that. What do you guys gain out of that? Talkin’ about there’s not sh*t for kids in New York. Guess why? Y’all are ghetto and f*cking untamed.”
She added, “Y’all’s parents did not raise y’all right. I’m only 18 years old, Bro and I’m seeing people who are 17, 16 doing this sh*t. I’m scared for y’all. Y’all futures are genuinely cooked, Bro! Your future is genuinely cooked if you think this sh*t is swag.” The user went on to suggest that the parents of the affected kids needed to enforce more discipline at home. “You 15, 16 years old doing sh*t like this? Yeah, no. You clearly not going to learn. You clearly too far gone. I would’ve thrown your asses out the frame,” she said.
The user continued, “This sh*t is sad, Bro. Hear y’all go givin’ ’em more shit to say about Hispanic and Black people. This is why we’ll never win. Certain people from our communities just do dumb sh*t. I hope the police come and just start charging everyone. I hope every single police force in the f*cking New York f*cking State goes to that mall and cuffs everyone, every single last one of y’all b*tches, and put every single one of y’all asses in jail no matter how old…jail, probation, f*cking JuV all o’ that. I’m sick of y’all. I really, really, really am because, Bro, what’s the point of this? What do y’all gain from this?”
The user continued saying that last year, when the movie theater was broken into, a possibility was discussed afterwards by officials to have minors carry IDs and to have them be accompanied by an adult to get into the mall. “Once ya’ll do this now, ya’ll think they’re not gonna make this sh*t happen? C’mon! Now, y’all little kids really not gonna have nowhere to f*ckin’ go!” Her post garnered nearly half a million views.
Norwood News has reached out to McDonalds and to the management of The Mall at Bay Plaza for comment and will share any feedback we receive.