March 24, 1999
Web posted at: 5:12 PM EST (2212 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- More than 200 people were arrested outside New York City's police headquarters Wednesday, the most in one day in what's become almost daily protests over the shooting of an unarmed West African immigrant by four New York City police officers last month.

The arrests of protesters outside police headquarters follow almost daily demonstrations since the fatal shooting of Amadou Diallo on Feb. 4.

The NYPD has said the officers fired 41 times at the unarmed Diallo, with 19 of those bullets hitting him. He died in the vestibule of his Bronx apartment building.

On Wednesday, union workers, senior citizens, and members of "Jews for Racial and Economic Justice" blocked the doorways of police headquarters, where they were arrested.

At the same time, protesters behind the police barricades elsewhere on the plaza shouted support for those arrested, while carrying signs reading "I'm Afraid of the NYPD" and "Adolf Giuliani".

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Police Commissioner Howard Safir have come under heavy criticism from activists who feel they have not done enough to battle police brutality and for not arresting the four officers involved.

A Bronx grand jury is hearing evidence on the case.