‘Hijacking a good cause:’ Mayor, commissioner say majority of protests are peaceful, small amount violent

The mayor addressed the various protests over the weekend, and says there were many powerful moments and also incidents and behavior that will not be tolerated.

News 12 Staff

Jun 1, 2020, 1:05 PM

Updated 1,418 days ago

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The mayor addressed the various protests over the weekend, and says there were many powerful moments and also incidents and behavior that will not be tolerated.
The mayor says the weekend protests were peaceful for the most part, but says that most of the violent or illegal incident were in the late night hours.
He says Sunday night’s looting incidents in Manhattan will not be allowed and that the actions are criminal and are not peaceful protests.
Commissioner Dermot Shea said that they have made multiple arrests for looting and also stated that anyone from the outer boroughs planning on driving into Manhattan to cause destruction will have their cars taken away.
The mayor also changed his original stance on the incident of an NYPD car driving through a crowd of protesters in Brooklyn. He originally said protesters were wrong for surrounding the vehicle, but is now saying there is no situation where an NYPD car should drive through a crowd.
Mayor de Blasio also addressed during one protest where an officer was reported pulling his gun on unarmed protesters. He says an investigation is underway and that the officer should have his badge removed.
The mayor also addressed the arrest of his 25-year-old daughter Chiara on Saturday.
He says he will let his daughter speak for herself, but says he trusts her and that she told him she was involved in peaceful protest.
Despite some recorded violence, Mayor de Blasio says there were many powerful moments of solidarity. He says various moments in Brooklyn and Queens showed officers taking a knee with protesters in solidarity.
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