After the devastating tragedies last week in which two black men (Alton Sterling and Philando Castile) were killed by cops and five cops were killed by a gunman, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for members of the Black Lives Matter protests to show respect and decency towards the NYPD and their families during this difficult time.
“I really want to urge protesters to recognize the pain that our police are going through right now,” the mayor said during a Friday afternoon (Jul. 8) press conference. “Show some decency and respect for people going through so much.” He also added that protestors owe it to the NYPD to be respectful, because they are doing all they can to protect us.
“They protected the protesters even as bullets were hailing down…” he said. “That’s something we have to reflect on as an example of all that is good about our police and the work that they do, but also a reminder of the way forward, because even in that most difficult and painful and tragic moment, the police defended everyone around them.”