MAYOR DE BLASIO COMMENTS ON POLICE PROTESTS
NEW YORK (WABC) --
Dueling protests were taking place on Friday at New York City Hall; one is in support of the NYPD and the other against them.It all stems from the fallout over the Eric Garner grand jury decision.
It was a day of stark contrast for the mayor, who spent the afternoon at a police promotion ceremony, getting what could best be described as a chilly reception from police, who applauded sparingly, but displayed no visible sign of protest for a mayor who praised their work in the face if mass protests.
"There is a respect and in some cases even an awe at what this department has done in recent weeks," Mayor de Blasio said.
But the mayor spent the morning meeting with some of the very protesters the police have had to corral on the streets of the city these last several weeks, and they demanded substantive change in how the NYPD operates.
"We've expressed to the mayor that there is a sense of urgency in the community and a real crisis in confidence in not just the NYPD but in the entire criminal justice system, the meeting was productive," said Carmen Perez, Justice League Founder.
Protests have rocked the city for weeks since a grand jury elected not to indict a police officer in the death of Eric Garner on Staten Island.
A few have turned violent, with much of that directed at police, and the mayor said that while he supports the right of citizens to express themselves, violence will not be tolerated.
"They need to be leaders in making sure that there is no violence. They need to be leaders in making sure there is respect for our police officers who in fact have done in making sure that these protests were peaceful and orderly," Mayor de Blasio said.
