New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday he’ll partially defund New York’s Finest to support youth and social services instead. He also said he was immediately ending the city’s 8 pm curfew, its first in 77 years. The nearly week-long curfew was set to expire Monday morning.
“We are committed to shifting resources,” de Blasio said,” according to a report by WPIX-11. “The investments in our youth are foundational.” The mayor claimed the defunding would be carried out in a way that would not compromise the safety of New Yorkers.
Defunding police has been one of the key demands of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrators in cities across the United States as they pressure mayors to reduce the funds allocated to law enforcement in favor of social services and youth.
In New York City it’s an especially touchy issue; three police officers were shot and stabbed this past Wednesday night.
The protests began a week ago to condemn the killing of George Floyd, a black career criminal who died during an arrest by a Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on his neck for nearly nine straight minutes as three other police officers stood alongside.
All four officers were arrested and charged with murder but the prompt response by Minnesota and federal justice officials made no impression on protesters and rioters.
The rampage through some 500 cities across America led by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and in many cases egged on by “antifa” operatives continued for a week, with looting, burning, beating and attacks against police, hapless business owners and other vendors taking place regardless of efforts to calm the chaos.
On Friday at a memorial held for George Floyd at Cadman Plaza in New York, led by the victim’s brother, Terrence Floyd and various other leaders in the black community, thousands upon thousands of demonstrators crushed into the site – packing it as far as the eye could see.
And yet, despite all New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio had done to try to protect the right of the demonstrators to carry on their protests peacefully each day, he was booed the second he took to the podium.
Why?
Because he had finally been forced to agree with police in setting a curfew with teeth in order to protect the rest of the city from the vicious looting of the anarchists who had nearly destroyed commerce in the “city that never sleeps.” After a single night of violence and havoc with an 11 pm curfew, de Blasio had finally been persuaded to dial the curfew back to 8 pm for the rest of the week, and to offer some verbal support to his law enforcement personnel.
For that sin last Thursday he was heckled, cursed and castigated roundly by Black Lives Matter, told to “shut up” and finally harassed till he left the stage.
“We will make peaceful change in this city,” he told the crowd.
“He still has to get the City Council to agree – and the unions,” said an NYPD family member who requested anonymity told JewishPress.com. “Not happening.”
More than 30 cops have been injured and nearly 50 police vehicles damaged since the start of the riots on May 25.
One cop was allegedly stabbed and two others shot last Wednesday night in Flatbush, Brooklyn as the officers were on an anti-looting patrol.
FBI Investigates After Shooting, Stabbing of NYPD Cops in Flatbush
Dzenan Camovic, 20, a Bosnian national who reportedly resides in Brooklyn, was hospitalized in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds after responding police officers arrived at the scene and neutralized the attacker. Camovic faces multiple charges, including attempted murder of a police officer, according to the NYPD.