On Thursday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested on CNN that gatherings such as normal parades and fairs would be restricted in his city, but Black Lives Matter protests would not be shut down.
On Thursday, de Blasio helped paint a Black Lives Matter mural in front of Trump Tower in Manhattan, and yelled, “We are saying Black Lives Matter in New York City and Black Lives Matter in the United States of America! Let’s show Donald Trump what he does not understand; let’s paint it right in front of his building for him!” Later, the mayor appeared on CNN with host Wolf Blitzer, who asked him, “What about protests? If people want to march down Fifth Avenue, are they going to be allowed to do so?”
De Blasio answered, “Look, Wolf, this is always an area of real sensitivity. If you’re just talking about health, we would always say, ‘Hey, folks, you know, stay home if you can.’ But we understand at this moment in history, people are talking about the need for historic changes. I mean, today, in New York City, recognizing the power and the meaning of the message Black Lives Matter, which we did in front of Trump Tower today, this is a historic moment of change; we have to respect that, but also say to people, the kinds of gatherings we’re used to – the parades, the fairs – we just can’t have that while we’re focusing on health right now.”
Later, de Blasio declared that painting the mural was not “denigrating” Fifth Avenue, as President Trump had tweeted, but “liberating&#8221; it.
President Trump had tweeted on July 1:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&#8230;.horrible BLM chant, “Pigs In A Blanket, Fry ‘Em Like Bacon”. Maybe our GREAT Police, who have been neutralized and scorned by a mayor who hates &amp; disrespects them, won’t let this symbol of hate be affixed to New York’s greatest street. Spend this money fighting crime instead!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1278324681477689349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
De Blasio <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/tv/pure-racism-mayor-bill-de-blasio-rips-trump-for-denouncing-nycs-black-lives-matter-mural-in-front-of-trump-tower/">called Trump’s remarks</a> about the mural “pure racism” as he stated:
<blockquote>Wolf, it was such an important message. The people of this city believe black lives matter, and we wanted to send that message to our whole city, but to our whole nation. And in fact, here was an opportunity for the President of the United States to show respect for the fact that that’s what we value here. And what did he do? He literally tweeted that writing “Black Lives Matter” on Fifth Avenue would “denigrate the luxury of that avenue.” That is pure racism. That is acting like an acknowledgment of the value of black people is somehow belittling, when in fact what we’re trying to do is lift up people who have built this city and built America and haven’t been given their respect. And it can’t just be words, Wolf, it has to be actions.
So we’re taking resources from our police department and putting it into youth programs. We’re acknowledging institutional racism and coming up with specific plans to tear it down. We need to take this transcendent moment and get the most out of it. But the president, rather than having a chance to acknowledge America’s original sin, he literally made it worse by suggesting that honoring black people on Fifth Avenue would somehow make it less valuable or luxurious. I gotta tell you, people are outraged by that, but more importantly, they’re speaking out, and folks today felt jubilant and triumphant. We were not denigrating Fifth Avenue; we were liberating Fifth Avenue by putting those crucial words right there in front of President Trump’s building.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Have you ever seen a more useless politician than Bill de Blasio?
This is just pathetic. <a href="https://t.co/3hiTW2aCn7">pic.twitter.com/3hiTW2aCn7</a>
&mdash; Benny (@bennyjohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/bennyjohnson/status/1281319361937117184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Bill DeBlasio has completely blown NYC’s budget, and his wife “misplaced” $800K through her Thrive NYC program that was supposed to help minority children but had had nothing to show for itself. This—painting—is how they try to distract from that. <a href="https://t.co/OUaE2DSWbf">https://t.co/OUaE2DSWbf</a>
&mdash; Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) <a href="https://twitter.com/conservmillen/status/1281348883210174465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

New York Paints &#8216;Black Lives Matter&#8217; Mural Outside Trump Tower

De Blasio Suggests Ban On Public Gatherings Like Parades Or Fairs. Black Lives Matter Protests Are Different.

Bill de Blasio

Black Lives Matter

New York City

Trump Tower

Vandals have cut down a flagpole at a memorial in a village outside of New York City that honored five local firefighters who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The vandalism in Washingtonville was discovered early Wednesday, according to the <a href="https://www.recordonline.com/story/news/local/2020/07/08/vandals-cut-down-flagpole-9-11-memorial-washingtonville/5399647002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Times-Herald Record</a>. Police have launched an investigation.
Washingtonville Police Chief Brian Zaccaro told the newspaper that vandals cut the flagpole about four or five feet from its base, toppling it. They also wrote a message on the part left standing. Police would not release what the message said, but stated that an eagle figure that sat atop the flagpole was found next to a vandalized sign at the St. Mary&#8217;s Parish Center about a half-mile away.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The destroy everything &amp; hate everyone culture has struck again last night as the Washingtonville NY Orange County 9/11 Memorial park was vandalized &amp; AMERICAN FLAG CUT DOWN. These individuals obviously don&#39;t know what sacrificing everything to save a fellow human being really is <a href="https://t.co/oUFdh3gWr2">pic.twitter.com/oUFdh3gWr2</a>
&mdash; NYCFireWire (@NYCFireWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCFireWire/status/1280947248881336322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;These two locations mean so much to Washingtonville and the larger community,&#8221; said New York State Assemblyman Colin Schmitt, whose district includes the area, the Record reported.
<blockquote>
The memorial includes a semi-circle of black granite monuments bearing the names of five local victims of the 2001 terrorist attacks, all members of the New York City Fire Department: firefighters Mark Whitford, Bobby Hamilton and Gerry Nevins, Batallion Chief Dennis Devlin and Lt. Glenn Perry. Atop each stone is a replica of a firefighter&#8217;s helmet.
The somber, granite-and-brick tribute to the &#8220;Washingtonville Five&#8221; and the other 9/11 victims was completed on Sept. 7, 2002, in time for the first anniversary of their deaths. Police say no parts of the memorial other than the flagpole were damaged.
</blockquote>
Washingtonville Mayor Joseph Bucco said the village will replace the flagpole and likely add surveillance cameras. He also said on Facebook that a reward of more than $3,000 is now being offered for information about the vandalism.
Vandals across the country have been targeting statues, memorials, and monuments in protests that began after George Floyd died on Memorial Day following a Minneapolis police officer using his knee to pin Floyd’s neck to the ground for over eight minutes.
Some of the vandals’ targets don’t make sense. For instance, on July 5, in the midst of Black Lives Matter protests, vandals toppled a replica statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass in Rochester, New York.
&#8220;The timing is significant: on July 5, 1852, Douglass delivered his famous speech, &#8216;What to the slave is the fourth of July?&#8217; pointing out the hypocrisy of celebrating independence when millions of Black people remained enslaved,&#8221; <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/augmented-reality/2020/07/07/interactivestory-experienceid-douglass/5390813002/">USA Today</a> wrote.
The statue was ripped from its base and dragged 50 away, ending up near a river gorge.
&#8220;[W]ithout any clear answers, the news of the statue’s destruction set off wide speculation about whether it was connected in some way to the continuing debate over the defacement, toppling and removal of monuments honoring Confederate generals and other controversial white historical figures,&#8221; The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/nyregion/frederick-douglass-statue-rochester.html">New York Times</a> wrote.
&#8220;On Monday, President Trump weighed in. In speeches over the July Fourth weekend, he had portrayed the destruction of national monuments as an assault on American values. He said on Twitter that the vandalism in Rochester was the work of &#8216;anarchists,&#8217; a term he has used repeatedly to describe protesters marching against police brutality,” The New York Times noted. “Some protesters have also urged, and some have carried out, the removal of statues of pro-slavery figures.”</div>
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.</div>

Backlit American flag on flag pole against the sky

Vandals Hack Down 9/11 Memorial Flagpole In New York Village

9/11

Crime

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had uncharacteristically strong words for protesters &#8220;occupying&#8221; City Hall, vandalizing city buildings and public statues, and taunting NYPD officers, but the mayor refused to say whether he would double down on efforts to remove the &#8220;autonomous zone&#8221; growing around the city&#8217;s government buildings.
After a video of protesters taunting police officers went viral Wednesday, de Blasio assailed the demonstrators for &#8220;vile, nasty&#8221; comments and accused the protesters of “degrading their own movement,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/07/01/de-blasio-rips-protesters-for-degrading-own-movement-with-vandalism/">New York Post</a>.
&#8220;A protester who says vile, nasty things to a police officer is degrading their own movement,” de Blasio said.
“A protester who writes nasty, violent phrases on a public building is degrading their own movement — especially a public building named after our first African American mayor,&#8221; he continued, referring to graffiti scrawled across a building named after David Dinkins. “I mean, get it together, people. If you want to protest for change, do it in a peaceful, respectful manner.&#8221;
The Post reports that protesters have been scrawling graffiti across a series of &#8220;autonomous zones&#8221; that have cropped up around city buildings as part of a larger movement to &#8220;occupy&#8221; NYC until the mayor agrees to defund the New York Police Department.
&#8220;Vandals have scrawled anti-cop graffiti on several city buildings — including 31 Chambers St., which houses Manhattan Surrogate’s Court and other city agencies, and 1 Centre St., a massive, 40-foot structure also known as the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building,&#8221; the Post reported. &#8220;Anti-cop vitriol, including &#8216;f*** 12&#8217; and &#8216;ACAB,&#8217; short for &#8216;All cops are bastards,&#8217; was spray-painted in black at 1 Centre around a plaque bearing Dinkins’ name.&#8221;
On Wednesday, police in riot gear tried to break up the protest surrounding City Hall, according to the <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-occupy-city-hall-nypd-clash-20200701-wxq7mxffqrgt5mqxodvqpqrgka-story.html">New York Daily News</a>, but after tearing down homemade barricades, which demonstrators had sourced from nearby construction sites, and arrested three people, the cops backed down. NYPD officials later said they were not instructed to dismantle the protest entirely, but rather to prevent it from expanding beyond its current borders and retrieve construction items stolen from city projects.
&#8220;Protesters were also fortifying their position by putting rebar into the barricades the cops had put in place, making them harder to move, had painted over surveillance cameras that were installed in the area years ago and had begun tacking signs onto trees within the park,&#8221; the official told the NYDN.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has yet to order the NYPD to take any further action, chastizing the protesters but not breaking up the protest &#8212; a strategy employed by Seattle&#8217;s Mayor Jenny Durkan, who called that city&#8217;s &#8220;Capitol Hill Occupied Protest,&#8221; or CHOP, a &#8220;block party&#8221; and a &#8220;summer of love,&#8221; before being forced to dismantle the tent city after two black teenagers were killed inside the &#8220;autonomous zone.&#8221;
In Seattle, the city government did refuse to make major cuts to the city&#8217;s police department, at least, in part, giving a reason to the ongoing demonstration. In New York City, however, mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged &#8212; and will pursue &#8212; a billion-dollar cut to the NYPD budget.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers with the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe"> member</a>.

City Hall Protesters New York

De Blasio Calls NYC City Hall Protests ‘Vile’ But Won’t Break Up ‘Autonomous Zone’

Defund The Police

New York Police Department (NYPD)

On Thursday, Ami Horowitz released a new video to YouTube in which he asks white and black New Yorkers if they “support abolishing the police.” Their answers are&#8230;quite different.
“There are many on the Left who want to abolish the police, feeling that communities of color will be better off without them,” Horowitz begins the video.
Horowitz then talks about how getting rid of the police “has entered the realm of normative debate,” citing the apparent support of the mayor of New York City’s wife.
First, he asks white New Yorkers about the police: “How much better off would the black community be if we dismantled the police?”
The answers ranged from affirmative to aggressive.
“I think infinitely, honestly,” a man wearing a light blue mask says.
A woman carrying several bags answers: “How much better off would we all be?”
One man wearing a pink t-shirt gets philosophical, and then aggressive: “I&#8217;d rather have something that doesn&#8217;t work without them than what we currently have, which is something that doesn&#8217;t work with them &#8230; I think that they are disgusting &#8230; I f***ing hate the police.”
Pink t-shirt later reiterates that he “f***ing” hates “the police and everything they stand for.”
Another man says the police should “absolutely” be abolished, and that they are “monsters.”
An older bald man claimes that “policing in this country is about keeping black people down,” and that “police arose out of slave-catching patrols.”
When asked about how people feel in “East Harlem” about the police, a respondent featured in the video says that he believes the people would feel the same as he does, if not more so.
Horowitz goes to Harlem to find out.
There, he asks a black man wearing a dark vest and woman with a gold necklace the following question: “What do you think of the people who say &#8230; your community would be better off if there was no police?”
The man replies: “I think they’re full of crap.”
The woman takes a more delicate approach: “I think they’re being somewhat ignorant.”
The man continues, saying that his 8-year-old son wants to be a policeman and that he, as a father, wants his son to be a policeman.
When Horowitz asks a man wearing a Nike t-shirt “how dangerous” the area would be without police, the man says it would be “very dangerous” because “people would be just going crazy.”
“It would be worse than what it is,” he adds. “Robberies, looting, raping, murder.”
Another woman replies that “it would be havoc” if the police were abolished.
One man wearing a “Black Lives Matter” t-shirt states that abolishing the NYPD “would be suicide.”
“There’s too many criminals out here, man. Are you kidding me?” the man adds. “I wouldn’t feel safe.”
Similar sentiment is expressed by others who interact with Horowitz.
A woman wearing a flower-patterned shirt says that she has family who are police and that she wouldn’t “want to see a lawless society.” She also makes sure to note that while she supports the police, she does not support police brutality.
When asked about the relationship between the NYPD and members of the community, a man wearing a blue Nike hat claims that “it’s pretty good,” noting that “all police officers are not bad,” and that there are ones who “really care about the people and really want to help the people.”
Check out the video here:
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jv5-mc4U_Zw" width="720" height="385" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Ami Horowitz video

WATCH: Asked About Abolishing Police, White And Black New Yorkers Have Very Different Responses

Ami Horowitz

Police

Police Brutality

On Sunday morning, a sleeping homeless man in New York City was attacked with fireworks, suffering burn injuries to his back.
&#8220;Earlier yesterday morning, a homeless male was sleeping on the sidewalk in front of 67 Lenox Avenue, in the confines of the 28 pct, when he was attacked,&#8221; posted NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison. &#8220;The male pictured above threw a lit firework on him, which exploded causing burns to the victims back.&#8221;
The culprit, a black male seen laughing and smiling after intentionally tossing the fireworks at the 66-year-old homeless man, is still at large, according to <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/06/23/homeless-man-attacked-with-fireworks/">CBS New York</a>.
At least two other bystanders appear to be watching and taping the incident.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Earlier yesterday morning, a homeless male was sleeping on the sidewalk in front of 67 Lenox Avenue, in the confines of the 28 pct, when he was attacked. The male pictured above threw a lit firework on him, which exploded causing burns to the victims back. <a href="https://t.co/gUZhbLznGT">pic.twitter.com/gUZhbLznGT</a>
&mdash; Chief Rodney Harrison (@NYPDDetectives) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDDetectives/status/1275382978609324035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Commenting on the incident, the official Twitter account for the Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) blasted those in the area for not stepping up and helping the victim.
&#8220;Homeless man literally set on fire last night on the streets in Brooklyn,&#8221; the SBA posted to Twitter on Monday. &#8220;Take a close look NOT one person can be seen defending this victim.&#8221;
&#8220;Not one person seemed to care no protesters to condemn no news media to tell the story,&#8221; the post added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Homeless man literally set on fire last night on the streets in Brooklyn. Take a close look NOT one person can be seen defending this victim. Not one person seemed to care no protesters to condemn no news media to tell the story. <a href="https://t.co/OYlgLJUuis">pic.twitter.com/OYlgLJUuis</a>
&mdash; SBA (@SBANYPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBANYPD/status/1275230513402458115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Some local residents are displeased, too.
“When you see something disgusting like that, knowing what’s going on right now, that’s crazy,” said Tyreke Cole of Harlem, according to the CBS affiliate.
&#8220;Tyreke and his brother Tyquan told Grymes crimes like this one take away from the ongoing <a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/tag/black-lives-matter">Black Lives Matter</a> protests <a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/tag/george-floyd">against racism and police brutality</a>,&#8221; the report noted.
“It’s like, what did we go out there and protest for if we came back here and did this to each other?” Tyquan said.
Tyreke added, “When you’re tearing down your own people, it’s like, what example are you setting?&#8221;
As noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-de-blasio-pledges-to-crack-down-on-fireworks-amid-post-coronavirus-peak-in-violent-crime?%3Futm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=dwtwitter">The Daily Wire</a> on Tuesday, far-left New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pledged to crack down on fireworks:
<blockquote>Amid a major increase in violent crime — and particularly gun violence — that has police officials warning of a “storm on the horizon,” de Blasio announced Tuesday that he plans on creating an “illegal fireworks task force,” which, Buzzfeed News reports, will “involve over 40 law enforcement officers conducting undercover buys and sting operations that target people selling fireworks in the city.”</blockquote>
De Blasio made the move soon after protesters showed up outside his home demanding action.
On Wednesday, Chief Harrison posted about a 3-year-old boy who was injured by fireworks while inside of his apartment. &#8220;The victim was in a bedroom looking out of the window at the fireworks,&#8221; he said, &#8220;when one of the shells entered the window striking him.&#8221;
&#8220;The shell blew apart causing a laceration to the left bicep requiring stitches and 1st &amp; 2nd degree burns,&#8221; Harrison added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The shell blew apart causing a laceration to the left bicep requiring stitches and 1st &amp; 2nd degree burns.
Anyone with information pertaining to this incident is asked to call NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or DM <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDTips?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYPDTips</a>
&mdash; Chief Rodney Harrison (@NYPDDetectives) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDDetectives/status/1275849195623256064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Anyone with information should please contact NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visit their <a href="http://nypdcrimestoppers.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">website</a>, or contact them on Twitter via <a href="http://twitter.com/nypdtips" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">@NYPDTips</a>.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

US-HEALTH-VIRUS-HOMELESS

Disturbing Video Shows Sleeping Homeless Person Attacked With Fireworks By Laughing Man

homeless

As calls from the Left intensify to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/opinion/sunday/floyd-abolish-defund-police.html">abolish the police</a>, and New York City takes action to remove officers and dismantle vital anti-crime units, the city that never sleeps surged in gun violence by a stunning <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2020/06/22/new-york-city-shootings-surge-police-department-disband-anti-crime-unit/">358%</a> since this time last year.
&#8220;It has been nearly a quarter century since New York City experienced as much gun violence in the month of June as it has seen this year,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/nyregion/nyc-shootings-surge.html?referringSource=articleShare">The New York Times</a> reported Tuesday.
NYC &#8220;logged 125 shootings in the first three weeks of the month, more than double the number recorded over the same period last year, police data show,&#8221; the report noted. &#8220;Gunmen opened fire during house parties, barbecues and dice games, and carried out coldly calculated street executions.&#8221;
Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri said you would &#8220;have to go back to 1996 to have a worse start of June.&#8221;
Over this past weekend, 38 people were shot in just 72 hours, and that total only grew larger by Monday.
Commissioner Dermot F. Shea disbanded anti-crime units in the city last week, comprised of plainclothes officers, which were vital for proactive policing concerning illegal firearms on the streets.
Additionally, as noted by <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2020/06/16/seismic-shift-nypd-disbands-controversial-anti-crime-unit-involved-in-many-shootings/#3293e4836607">Forbes</a>, roughly 600 plainclothes officers were reassigned &#8220;to new roles including neighborhood policing and detective bureaus&#8221; in conjunction with the disbanding of the proactive police units.
Chief LiPetri cited virus-related court proceedings restrictions for contributing to the spike. &#8220;Although police arrested more people for gun possession this year, he said many were released because their cases could not be presented to a grand jury within six days, the statutory limit for holding people in custody without an indictment,&#8221; he explained, according to the Times.
About 40% of those arrested on gun possession charges had been released without bail, thanks to Democrat-led &#8220;reforms.&#8221;
NYC is not alone in the recent crime spike, Democrat-run cities like Chicago and Minneapolis have also been plagued with sky-high shooting rates.
Still, as noted by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-city-council-unanimously-passes-resolution-to-replace-police-department-with-community-led-public-safety-system">The Daily Wire</a>, the Minneapolis City Council voted earlier this month to unanimously pass a resolution that would replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a so-called “community-led public safety system.”
The resolution cited the death of George Floyd, a black man who died last month following a disturbing arrest captured on viral video.
“The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, by Minneapolis police officers is a tragedy that shows that no amount of reforms will prevent lethal violence and abuse by some members of the Police Department against members of our community, especially Black people and people of color,” <a href="https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/File/3806/Transforming%20Community%20Safety%20Resolution.pdf">wrote</a> five of the council members.
The decision to gut policing in the city was strongly pushed back on by Minneapolis Police Chief <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-police-chief-blasts-calls-to-defund-department-says-he-wont-abandon-residents">Medaria Arradondo</a>, who vowed not to abandon citizens.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minneapolis-police-chief-blasts-calls-to-defund-department-says-he-wont-abandon-residents">Minneapolis Police Chief Blasts Calls To Defund Department, Says He Won’t Abandon Residents</a>
H/t <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2020/06/22/new-york-city-shootings-surge-police-department-disband-anti-crime-unit/">The Daily Caller</a> 
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

George Floyd Protest Juneteenth &#8211; New York City

‘Defund The Police’: NYC Shootings EXPLODE Amid Disbanding Of Anti-Crime Units, Reassignment Of Hundreds Of Officers

Riots

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is finally pledging to get tough on crime in the city &#8212; but only if that crime involves fireworks.
Amid a major increase in violent crime &#8212; and particularly gun violence &#8212;  that has police officials warning of a &#8220;storm on the horizon,&#8221; de Blasio announced Tuesday that he plans on creating an &#8220;illegal fireworks task force&#8221; which, Buzzfeed News reports, will &#8220;involve over 40 law enforcement officers conducting undercover buys and sting operations that target people selling fireworks in the city.&#8221;
The move comes after protesters, fed up with an increase in fireworks activity in the city, gathered outside De Blasio&#8217;s home, honking their horns and demanding De Blasio bring a swift end to illegal fireworks sale and use in Brooklyn and beyond, <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/23/fireworks-show-torments-nyc-as-protesters-demand-crackdown/">per the New York Post</a>.
&#8220;Someone set off an elaborate late-night fireworks show on a Brooklyn street — just as scores of drivers fed up with the illegal pyrotechnics honked their horns outside Gracie Mansion to disrupt Mayor Bill de Blasio’s slumber, a dramatic video posted to Twitter shows,&#8221; the Post reported Tuesday.
A combination of post-pandemic boredom and a glut of available, professional fireworks &#8212; thanks to cities and municipalities largely canceling their 4th of July extravaganzas &#8212; has led to an increase in illegal firework activity in most major cities, including New York.
New York City has also seen a number of alleged &#8220;fireworks attacks,&#8221; many captured on video, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/fireworks-attack-video-homeless-man-nyc-mayor">according to Fox News</a>, including an incident where teens tossed a firework on a sleeping homeless man, and another where a group of young men is shown tossing a firework into an open window in one of the city&#8217;s boroughs.
The homeless man suffered burns to his back, police told media Tuesday.
“The inhumanity of this crime is shocking to everyone who watches,” the NYPD tweeted. “The NYPD WILL apprehend those responsible for using fireworks to assault our fellow New Yorker in #Harlem yesterday.”
In response, De Blasio, who has done little to control the spread of crime within the city, announced a crackdown &#8212; a full-scale anti-fireworks police operation, at a time when police are increasingly under fire for aggressive behavior.
The mayor&#8217;s office announced that the task force will include &#8220;10 officers from NYPD Intelligence Bureau, 12 FDNY Fire Marshals and 20 members of the Sheriff’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation,” according to a press release. De Blasio said in the press conference that the task force would operate both in and outside of the city and target “suppliers, distributors, and possessors.&#8221;
“This is not just a quality of life problem and a noise problem — and it&#8217;s certainly that, and in all five boroughs, we take that seriously— but it can also be dangerous,” de Blasio said in a press release, per Buzzfeed. “We’re going to start a huge sting operation to go and get these illegal fireworks at the base. Meaning, everywhere they’re being sold around New York City, and even where they’re being sold in surrounding states that we know of flowing into New York.&#8221;
The announcement left many of the city&#8217;s residents uneasy, particularly given the national movement against police brutality and marches designed to draw attention to racial disparities in law enforcement.
De Blasio&#8217;s office has, of course, not announced any similar plan to tackle the gun violence problem.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Fireworks NYC

Bill De Blasio Pledges To Crack Down On Fireworks Amid Post-Coronavirus Peak In Violent Crime

A much-touted effort by New York City officials to prevent a &#8220;second wave&#8221; of COVID-19 outbreaks has gotten off to a &#8220;worrisome start&#8221; in part because a majority of people the city has contacted have failed to fully cooperate with the effort. The development follows the city&#8217;s widely reported decision to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-blocks-coronavirus-contact-tracers-from-asking-about-protests">block</a> contact tracers from asking people if they had participated in the Black Lives Matter protests or riots.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/21/nyregion/nyc-contact-tracing.html">The New York Times</a> first reported on the &#8220;worrisome&#8221; start to the city&#8217;s contract tracing program ahead of the city&#8217;s new reopening phase Monday, which includes the return of outdoor dining and in-store shopping, as well as many office workers.
<div class="css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn">
<div class="css-53u6y8">
&#8220;The city has hired 3,000 disease detectives and case monitors, who are supposed to identify anyone who has come into contact with the hundreds of people who are still testing positive for the virus in the city every day,&#8221; the Times&#8217; Sharon Otterman reported Sunday. &#8220;But the first statistics from the program, which began on June 1, indicate that tracers are often unable to locate infected people or gather information from them.&#8221;
How bad are the numbers? According to the city&#8217;s newly released statistics, in the first two weeks of the program, just 35% of the 5,347 city residents who were believed to be COVID-19 positive provided tracers information about close contacts. By the third week, just 42% had been willing to provide key information.
The other problems plaguing the program include the sheer scale of the disease, &#8220;scant use of technology, privacy concerns and a far less sweeping mandate than that in some other countries, where apartment buildings, stores, restaurants and other private businesses are often required to collect visitors’ personal information, which makes tracking the spread easier,&#8221; Otterman notes.
</div>
</div>
<div class="css-1fanzo5 StoryBodyCompanionColumn">
<div class="css-53u6y8">
Otterman cites Dr. Ted Long, the expert heading up the city&#8217;s Test and Trace Corps, as acknowledging that they were struggling to get people to provide information about contact over the phone, with some insisting that they had not left their homes and others leaving interviews before being asked. Some would not even provide the names of family members with whom they&#8217;d come in contact.
One &#8220;encouraging sign&#8221; Long could point to is that almost everyone to whom they&#8217;d reached out answered their phones, Otterman writes. In-person interviews, Long suggested, might produce better results. Contact tracers plan to visit those believed to be positive within the next couple of weeks.
These early struggles to effectively track potential infections, Otterman writes, &#8220;raise fresh concerns about the difficulties in preventing a surge of new cases as states across the country reopen.&#8221;
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-blocks-coronavirus-contact-tracers-from-asking-about-protests">The Daily Wire</a> reported, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office made clear last week that the team of contact tracers will not ask subjects whether they attended a protest. “No person will be asked proactively if they attended a protest,” de Blasio&#8217;s spokeswoman Avery Cohen told <a href="https://www.thecity.nyc/coronavirus/2020/6/14/21290963/nyc-covid-19-trackers-skipping-floyd-protest-questions-even-amid-fears-of-new-wave">THE CITY</a>. “If a person wants to proactively offer that information, there is an opportunity for them to do so.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-blocks-coronavirus-contact-tracers-from-asking-about-protests">NYC Blocks Coronavirus Contact Tracers From Asking About Protests</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.
</div>
</div>

Rally

‘Worrisome’: NYC Hires 3,000 People For Contact Tracing, But Finds Most People Won’t Cooperate

Coronavirus

COVID-19

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City announced on Sunday that it is going to remove a statue of former President Theodore Roosevelt that has been located on the property for 80 years.
The museum made the call to take down the statue and New York City, which owns the building and property, agreed with the museum&#8217;s decision, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/21/arts/design/roosevelt-statue-to-be-removed-from-museum-of-natural-history.html">The New York Times</a>. The bronze statue features Roosevelt on horseback and flanked on both sides by an African man and a Native American man.
&#8220;The statue was meant to celebrate Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) as a devoted naturalist and author of works on natural history. Roosevelt’s father was one of the Museum’s founders, and the Museum is proud of its historic association with the Roosevelt family,&#8221; the museum said in a statement. &#8220;At the same time, the statue itself communicates a racial hierarchy that the Museum and members of the public have long found disturbing.&#8221;
The statue&#8217;s removal comes after left-wing activists have destroyed statues across the country in recent days, including statues of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-rioters-burn-american-flag-on-fire-on-top-of-george-washington-statue-tear-it-down">George Washington</a>, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/portland-protesters-tear-down-racist-statue-thomas-jefferson">Thomas Jefferson</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rioters-in-california-tear-down-statue-of-ulysses-s-grant-he-defeated-the-confederacy-devastated-kkk">Ulysses S. Grant</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-rioters-tear-down-statue-of-francis-scott-key-he-wrote-the-star-spangled-banner">Francis Scott Key</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-rioters-in-california-tear-down-religious-statue-of-father-junipero-serra">Junipero Serra</a>.
The museum said that it was going to rename its Hall of Biodiversity after Roosevelt to honor his legacy as a conservationist.
The New York Times added:
<blockquote>[The museum’s president, Ellen V. Futter] also made a point of saying that the museum was only taking issue with the statue itself, not with Roosevelt overall, with whom the institution has a long history.
His father was a founding member of the institution; its charter was signed in his home. Roosevelt’s childhood excavations were among the museum’s first artifacts. The museum was chosen by New York’s state legislature for Roosevelt’s memorial in 1920.
The museum already has several spaces named after Roosevelt, including Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall, the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda and Theodore Roosevelt Park outside.</blockquote>
“It’s very important to note that our request is based on the statue, that is the hierarchical composition that’s depicted in it,” Ms. Futter said. “It is not about Theodore Roosevelt who served as Governor of New York before becoming the 26th president of the United States and was a pioneering conservationist.”
The museum noted in its statement that New York City Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio had created a commission in 2017 to &#8220;evaluate a number of controversial monuments around the city, including the Roosevelt statue, which sits on city-owned land. The City determined that the Roosevelt statue would remain in place but that more information should be provided.&#8221;
The movement to remove statues across the country was recently triggered by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
This report has been updated to include additional information and revised to address a block quote error.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

New York City Architecture And Monuments

New York City Museum Taking Down Statue Of President Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Visitors to a park in Harlem named after Black icon Marcus Garvey were shocked to discover a “noose” hanging in the area. It turns out, however, the “noose,” was just some rope left over from construction scaffolding and had been hanging in the park unnoticed for months.
Nevertheless, outrage has ensued as protests and riots over alleged systemic racism in America have broken out across the country following the police-involved death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd. The officer who held his knee to Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, Derek Chauvin, was immediately fired and arrested within five days of Floyd’s death. Still, protests and riots rage across the U.S., with people looting and destroying businesses as well as setting fire to cars and buildings.
NBC New York <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/noose-found-hanging-from-tree-inside-harlem-park-leaves-neighbors-rattled/2467942/?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_NYBrand">reported</a> that people in the neighborhood are “feeling a little shaken up” even after learning the real story behind the “noose.” Someone visiting the park took a photo of the rope on June 13, causing the outrage. The rope has since been removed and the incident was investigated by the New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force investigated the noose and determined it was not a hate crime.
“The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force investigated this incident thoroughly. According to the park director, it was left over from a construction scaffold that was removed in the fall. The rope was used to hoist construction materials,” the task force tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force investigated this incident thoroughly. According to the park director, it was left over from a construction scaffold that was removed in the fall. The rope was used to hoist construction materials. <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDDetectives?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYPDDetectives</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDShea?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYPDShea</a> <a href="https://t.co/kWCBCbI1qd">https://t.co/kWCBCbI1qd</a>
— NYPD Hate Crimes (@NYPDHateCrimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDHateCrimes/status/1273024872004845568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That’s right, the noose had been in the park for more than half a year before anyone noticed and thought it was a racist symbol.
PIX 11 <a href="https://www.pix11.com/news/local-news/manhattan/noose-found-in-manhattans-marcus-garvey-park">reported</a> that it was a Parks Department employee who alerted police to the alleged noose after the city’s 311 line was alerted by someone in the park.
&#8220;We are dismayed by this incident,&#8221; a Parks Department spokeswoman told Pix. &#8220;We immediately notified NYPD and removed the rope from the tree.&#8221;
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer immediately called the incident “despicable” before any investigation began.
&#8220;It’s disturbing that there are people out there who would do this, but we have seen these past few weeks that there are so many more who are against what this hateful symbol stands for,&#8221; she tweeted. &#8220;Our diversity makes us strong.&#8221;
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also immediately jumped on the picture and claims of racism, releasing a statement about the “noose.”
“I am disgusted by the recent discovery of a noose — the epitome of hatred and an evil icon of our nation&#8217;s racist past — in Harlem&#8217;s Marcus Garvey Park,&#8221; the statement read. &#8220;New York is no place for hate, and the progress we&#8217;ve made as a society will not be undone by the work of a few cowards.&#8221;
Even after it was determined that the rope was not a “noose,” but leftover construction equipment, people were skeptical.
“I don’t see how a rope like that could’ve stayed this long through winter storms through wind. And it’s just perfectly there?&#8221; one resident told NBC, adding that if it was from a construction crew then they needed to be taught not to leave hate symbols lying around. &#8220;If we want to think about what the noose symbolizes, it is literally a direct threat on the lives of Black people in this country for centuries,” the resident said.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Noose

A ‘Noose’ Was Found In A Harlem Park. NYPD Hate Crimes Unit Investigates, Discovers Innocent Origins.

Hate Crime

Racism

Despite the fact that he has reportedly been arrested between 60-100 times, thanks to bail reform, a registered sex offender was out free walking on Third Avenue in the Gramercy Park area of New York City last Friday, when he decided to shove a 92-year-old woman down, causing her to hit her head on a fire hydrant.
The attack was caught on surveillance video. As the suspect, whom <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/06/16/92-year-old-woman-shoved-on-manhattan-sidewalk/">CBS New York</a> identified as 31-year-old Rashid Brimmage, walked away, he looked back at the woman but did nothing to help her.
The woman, whom <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/disturbing-video-shows-random-attack-hydrant-head-smash-of-92-year-old-woman-in-manhattan/2466659/">NBC New York</a> identified only as “Geraldine,” said, “When they helped me up, I said &#8216;what happened&#8217; because I didn&#8217;t even know what happened. It was completely out of the blue.”
She wound up at Mount Sinai Beth Israel hospital.
“I can’t believe that someone would do this,” she told CBS New York. After watching the video, she said, “Oh, he did look back. He did look back to see me fall on the floor, that rat!”
The woman gestured to her head, noting, “He hit me on the left – ow – that hurts to touch it. [My arm] was all bloody … This man did nothing except change my life and almost kill me.”
She continued, “With my visor on and my face mask, so he barely saw who I was. He just saw an elderly lady walking slowly and he decided I’m perfect for a victim. I’m not going to walk on the street alone right now, absolutely not.”
CBS New York reports that Brimmage is a &#8220;registered sex offender who police say has been arrested about 65 times.&#8221; His long list of alleged offenses include &#8220;assault, harassment, resisting arrest and persistent sexual abuse,&#8221; and he is currently scheduled to appear in court in July for multiple arrests earlier this year.
“A senior law enforcement official tells News 4 Brimmage is a recidivist with 100 prior arrests who has gotten a desk appearance ticket for his most recent ones because of bail reform,&#8221; NBC New York adds. &#8220;He is an NYPD co-response client, which means police have responded with social workers when dealing with him.&#8221;
A senior police official said police are concerned that Brimmage will again receive a desk appearance ticket, permitting him to go free and attack someone else, NBC notes.
In early January, Barry Latzer, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, explained in <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/01/new-york-state-bail-reform-law-wont-work/">National Review</a> regarding New York City&#8217;s bail reform:
<blockquote>The new law prohibits arraignment judges (the ones that handle an arrested person’s first court appearance) from demanding bail for certain defendants or remanding them to jail. Instead, they must release the defendant on his own recognizance (ROR). This release order supposedly does not apply to violent felony offenders. However, numerous crimes of violence or potential violence are found among the state’s so-called nonviolent felonies, including certain robberies, rapes, and assaults.
And judges in New York — unlike judges in 46 other states — may not take public safety into account when deciding whether or not to release someone. While New York law directs arraignment judges to focus on the likelihood of return when ruling on release, it does not provide for an assessment of the risk of nonappearance.</blockquote>
Geraldine, who said she is afraid to go back out on the street, delivered a pleading message to her attacker: “Please stop what you’re doing. That’s all I can say to this man,&#8221; CBS reports.
&#8220;I&#8217;m so happy he was arrested,&#8221; she told NBC. &#8220;Boy, he should stay in jail and think about what he did. Try to change, and try to make himself better.&#8221;
<iframe src="https://w3.cdn.anvato.net/player/prod/v3/anvload.html?key=eyJtIjoiY2JzIiwidiI6IjQ1OTI0NTIiLCJhbnZhY2siOiI1VkQ2RXlkNmRqZXdiQ21Od0JGbnNKajE3WUF2R1J3bCIsInNoYXJlTGluayI6Imh0dHBzOi8vY2JzbG9jLmFsLzM3Q1lhT2EiLCJwbHVnaW5zIjp7ImNvbXNjb3JlIjp7ImNsaWVudElkIjoiMzAwMDAyMyIsImMzIjoibmV3eW9yay5jYnNsb2NhbC5jb20ifSwiZGZwIjp7ImNsaWVudFNpZGUiOnsiYWRUYWdVcmwiOiJodHRwOi8vcHViYWRzLmcuZG91YmxlY2xpY2submV0L2dhbXBhZC9hZHM%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%3D%3D" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Hydrant at midday in New York

Registered Sex Offender Had 60-100 Prior Arrests, Then Shoved Woman, 92, So Her Head Hit Fire Hydrant

bail reform

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s team of contact tracers monitoring the spread of the coronavirus around the city will not ask Covid-19-positive subjects whether they attended a protest.
“No person will be asked proactively if they attended a protest,” de Blasio spokeswoman Avery Cohen told <a href="https://www.thecity.nyc/coronavirus/2020/6/14/21290963/nyc-covid-19-trackers-skipping-floyd-protest-questions-even-amid-fears-of-new-wave">THE CITY</a>. “If a person wants to proactively offer that information, there is an opportunity for them to do so.”
De Blasio announced in late April that the city would hire 1,000 contact tracers to help track and fight the coronavirus. At a press conference, the mayor said he planned to build “a contact tracing network in this city like never been seen before, on a vast scale, so every time someone tests positive, immediately we can swing into action,” according to <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/494794-new-york-city-looking-to-immediately-hire-1000-contact-tracers-for-vast">The Hill</a>.
Contact tracers are responsible for interviewing people who test positive for the coronavirus and finding out how many others may have been exposed to disease, then follow up with the potentially exposed so they can self-isolate.
The New York City contact tracing team asks coronavirus-positive people about “close contacts,” defined as standing within six feet of someone, and if they live alone or with others. The tracers have been ordered not ask whether the person has recently attended a protest, however.
The directive comes as thousands of people have demonstrated through the city’s streets for George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody on Memorial Day. Other protests have been against de Blasio’s defenses of the New York City Police Department.
Columbia University health professor Dr. S. Patrick Kachur explained that asking people who have tested positive for the coronavirus whether they had attended a protest may put the person off from answering more questions during the interview. He also questioned the usefulness of knowing whether a person attended a protest or not.
“I think the logic has to do with the fact that contact tracing requires a strong level of trust between the interviewer and the person they’re talking to,” Kachur, a former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official, told THE CITY. “It’s really important to have a good rapport and treat people with ease. It’s important to not ask questions that will impede your ability to do the best job you can.”
“There’s definitely a concern that state and city officials have that the protests could be a place where transmission occurs, but that risk is lower than household and other community contacts,” he added. “And it would be really challenging to trace those contacts who you’ve been protesting with.”
Despite the ongoing threat from the pandemic, de Blasio has been accepting of the protests and praised his daughter after she was arrested during one. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cuomo-warns-new-yorkers-of-second-lockdown-over-restaurants-bars-ignores-massive-brooklyn-protest">ignored</a> the protest’s potential impacts on public health and has instead focused on New York residents violating social distancing rules at restaurants and bars.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

NYC Protest

NYC Blocks Coronavirus Contact Tracers From Asking About Protests

New York City workers, frustrated that residents in Brooklyn kept taking their children to a city park, finally welded the gates shut.
The park, in a large Jewish community, had been the focus of city workers for some time as they tried to enforce lockdown orders. City playgrounds were shut down by Cuomo in a state order enacted April 1, when Cuomo took control out of the hands of city Mayor Bill de Blasio. The governor’s office said at the time that Cuomo took the step to prevent crowds from gathering.
But Cuomo allowed thousands to traipse through the city during protests over George Floyd, who died on Memorial Day in the custody of Minneapolis police, while de Blasio has come down hard on average citizens.
“How long can we keep our kids in prison?” asked one mom of six in the predominantly Hasidic area of Brooklyn, who declined to give her name, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/15/nyc-welds-shut-gate-to-williamsburg-playground-amid-coronavirus/">New York Post</a> reported. “I don’t feel like I live in a free country.”
One city worker was heard telling a parent: “We don’t know when it will open, but hopefully in a week or two. For now, it is closed,&#8221; The Post said.
The city had repeatedly padlocked the gates to the park, but residents broke through at least 25 times in just a few weeks. The Parks Department finally decided to weld the gates shut, although that didn&#8217;t last long.
“At this playground, a temporary measure was used to shut the playground after it was breached,” said Parks spokesman Anessa Hodgson in a statement. “It will be unwelded today and replaced with a lock.”
But within hours of a new padlock being put on the gates of the playground near Williamsburg, dozens of Hasidic locals crowded together and cheered when three men used bolt cutters to hack through, a video posted online shows.
&#8220;A SAD TALE OF 2 CITIES! mass gatherings without #SocialDistancing is allowed in Brooklyn but several blocks away parks in Hasidic neighborhoods are being shut not letting children breathe fresh air and sleep away camps are prohibited from opening #KidsLivesMatter&lt;&#8221; HQSatmar wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
DEFYING <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYCMayor</a> by forcibly opening Public parks in Hasidic neighborhoods and letting children breathe fresh air <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KidsLivesMatter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KidsLivesMatter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GiveKidsSummer?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GiveKidsSummer</a> <a href="https://t.co/zLSqAmjZse">pic.twitter.com/zLSqAmjZse</a>
&mdash; Satmar Headquarters (@HQSatmar) <a href="https://twitter.com/HQSatmar/status/1272649399718612994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Community activist Gary Schlesinger also pointed out the double standard, The Post notes.
“You have tens of thousands of people marching with no social distancing and it feels like a tale of two cities,” he said. “Parents of kids which are the majority of people who live in this community are very angry about this because you are talking about large families confined to small apartments for weeks and weeks. The mayor’s office should be cognizant of this, but to him it’s the complete opposite.”
Assembly Member Joseph Lentol, who organized the Monday rally, issued the following statement: &#8220;When attending today&#8217;s rally, I said I believe that the playground should be open and said so very strongly. While I did not see the locks being cut, I understand the frustration which would lead that to happening. Our families do not feel that they are being heard. I see this rally as a peaceful message, with the clipping of the locks as a strong signal that the families are unhappy and fed up. They want activities for their children and they want to be heard. The city must come up with a better plan than cutting off access to playgrounds entirely.&#8221;
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">member</a>.

Close-Up Of Welding Torch

NYC Workers Welded Gates Shut At Children’s Park. Residents Rose Up, Took Back Playground.

A New York state senator says he and other lawmakers will “cut off the chains” and open New York City&#8217;s playgrounds unless Mayor Bill de Blasio orders them open within “a few days.”
State Sen. Simcha Felder slammed the Democratic mayor on Monday, accusing him of “catering” to donors and supporters by allowing playgrounds to remain open in some city districts, while chaining and welding gates shut in others.
“It’s a tale of two cities,” Felder, also a Democrat, told The Daily Wire. “Wealthier neighborhoods like Central Park and the east side of Manhattan, there’s certain playgrounds in certain neighborhoods, somehow the playgrounds and parks are open.”
“In other neighborhoods they’re closed,” Felder continued. “[De Blasio] is doing whatever he likes. He is catering to the people that support him most.”
A spokeswoman for the city&#8217;s Department of Parks and Recreation denied Felder&#8217;s claim, telling The Daily Wire that all playgrounds across the city are closed &#8220;to keep our children safe.&#8221; One instance of city workers <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1272584443342008320">welding</a> a playground&#8217;s gate shut was a temporary measure after the playground was broken into, the latest in over two dozen such instances at that playground. The parks department is planning to break the weld and replace the chain and lock as soon as possible, the spokeswoman said.
Felder’s district stretches from Sunset Park to Madison in south Brooklyn. He and state assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein and city councilman Kalman Yeger rallied at a park in Midwood on Sunday demanding that the mayor open all parks across the city. The lawmakers say that opening parks and playgrounds is not a question of allowing for greater spread of the coronavirus, but of giving children a safe place to play.
“The kids are playing with each other. There’s no question about that,” Felder said. “The kids are playing with each other, they are playing in the street, they are playing in unsafe conditions instead of having the playgrounds open.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYCMayor</a>: Don’t leave kids behind. OPEN THE PLAYGROUNDS NOW!
Playgrounds + school yards are essential to children. They need a place to play that’s safe.
I was glad to stand with <a href="https://twitter.com/NYSenatorFelder?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYSenatorFelder</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/KalmanYeger?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KalmanYeger</a> at Kolbert Park in Midwood demanding playgrounds be opened now. <a href="https://t.co/nmZIh9Jf3I">pic.twitter.com/nmZIh9Jf3I</a>
&mdash; Simcha Eichenstein (@SEichenstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEichenstein/status/1272247168863215616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“What does this guy want? Does he want to ensure his legacy of being the most incompetent mayor in New York City? If that’s the case, yeah, then that makes sense,” Felder said.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2020/04/01/new-york-city-playgrounds-to-shut-down-under-cuomo-order-1270113">ordered</a> all playgrounds across the state closed on April 1, claiming that residents were flocking to the open areas and not social distancing. He <a href="https://www.newsday.com/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-long-island-new-york-covid19-reopening-1.45593030">lifted</a> the order late last week, telling local officials to decide whether playgrounds will reopen.
Felder said that de Blasio’s decision to open some parks and not others is either calculated to benefit his political allies, or retribution for critics.
“He clearly, over the last few weeks, has become more vengeful and paranoid about what’s going on in the city,” Felder said. New York City’s fight against the coronavirus, which Felder said started too late because the mayor “laughed off this pandemic early on,” has been complicated in recent weeks by massive protests and riots over George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody on Memorial Day.
De Blasio has voiced support for the protesters, even <a href="https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2020/06/02/de-blasio-says-he-s--proud--of-daughter-after-arrest-">praising</a> his daughter when she was arrested while demonstrating, in a marked departure from how he treated protesters demanding an end to the shutdown. In early May, NYC police <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/29/george-floyd-protests-okay-amid-coronavirus-gathering-ban-de-blasio/">arrested</a> nine protesters for violating social distancing rules while calling for the state to reopen.
“If somebody said to me that the reason he closed [the playgrounds] was because we asked him to open them, I wouldn’t be shocked,” Felder said. “We asked respectfully, we asked nicely. I don’t know, maybe if I got down on my knees or maybe if we had a riot, it would be okay.”
Felder says that he and others intend to open the playgrounds themselves “in a few days” if de Blasio does not give the order.
“I am giving you a commitment that in a short amount of time, if they don’t open the playgrounds – it’s not only me – many colleagues and elected officials are going to go to the playgrounds ourselves,” Felder said. “It’s not a big deal, you get a chain-cutter and open the playgrounds. And if they lock it again, we’ll cut it again.”
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

NY State Lawmaker Pledges To ‘Cut Off The Chains’ And Open Playgrounds If Mayor De Blasio Doesn’t Drop Ban

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warned Monday that he may be forced to declare a second lockdown after New York residents ventured out to bars and restaurants over the weekend in Manhattan and the Hamptons, even though Cuomo&#8217;s government largely ignored a massive protest that took place in Brooklyn.
Cuomo threatened New Yorkers with a second lockdown in a press conference, The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/world/coronavirus-live-updates.html">New York Times reports</a>, after, Cuomo said, the state was &#8220;deluged&#8221; with more than 25,000 complaints of people flouting social distancing regulations and crowding in businesses.
&#8220;Specifically, Mr. Cuomo said that bar patrons in Manhattan and in the Hamptons had been flouting the rules,&#8221; the NYT says. &#8220;He warned that if local officials did not crack down on such behavior, the state could be forced to suspend the reopening plan.&#8221;
“I am warning today, in a nice way, of the consequences of your actions,&#8221; Cuomo said, referring to bars and restaurants. “We are not kidding around with this. You are talking about jeopardizing people’s lives.”
State officials tried to water down Cuomo&#8217;s comments later Monday after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pushed back on the possibility of another coronavirus-related lockdown and amid news that New York saw fewer new coronavirus deaths over the weekend than it had since March. Only 23 people succumbed to the novel coronavirus Sunday, down from a peak of nearly 800 the first week of April.
The same officials also said that law enforcement officers were working diligently over the weekend to break up large groups and enforce social distancing, though it&#8217;s not clear how either the state or city set its enforcement priorities. While bar patrons crowded together in the Hamptons, earning Cuomo&#8217;s ire, and Jewish schoolchildren took advantage of summer weather to play in city parks, <a href="https://twitter.com/dcexaminer/status/1270336686883389441">earning the city&#8217;s attention</a>, thousands upon thousands of marchers took the streets in Brooklyn, in a &#8220;Black Trans Lives Matter&#8221; protest that was not forced to meet social distancing or masking guidelines.
&#8220;Thousands of protesters — all dressed in white — gathered in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon to rally in support of the black transgender population,&#8221; <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/14/protesters-dress-in-white-for-black-trans-lives-rally-in-brooklyn/">the New York Post reported</a>. &#8220;An enormous sea of people packed outside the Brooklyn Museum for the massive demonstration, according to footage posted to social media by <a href="https://twitter.com/JibreelJalloh/status/1272264465766068224?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@JibreelJalloh</a>.&#8221;
The footage shows people crowded together in front of the Brooklyn Museum and standing shoulder-to-shoulder on public streets.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
From the steps of the Brooklyn museum: everyone who’s showed up for Black trans lives today <a href="https://t.co/htqjF5tWtn">pic.twitter.com/htqjF5tWtn</a>
&mdash; Shannon Keating (@skeatings) <a href="https://twitter.com/skeatings/status/1272220383765237761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The protest was, of course, peaceful.
New York has been holding fast to a number of social distancing regulations, even issuing new bans as recently as last week, including a <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/12/new-york-bans-summer-sleepaway-camps-to-contain-coronavirus/">ban on summer sleepaway camps</a>, despite the risk of transmitting the coronavirus in an environment of mostly children remains low. New York City remains in &#8220;Phase 1&#8221; of the state&#8217;s reopening plan, but other parts of the state are expected to enter &#8220;Phase 3,&#8221; where groups of up to 50 individuals are allowed to gather, as early as Wednesday.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Andrew Cuomo

Cuomo Warns New Yorkers Of Second Lockdown Over Restaurants, Bars, Ignores Massive Brooklyn Protest

lockdown

New York

social distancing

The New York City Health Department has released the latest rendition of its safe-sex coronavirus guidelines, and, although the document includes some predictable public health information — “stay home as much as possible” — it also floats some less-than-expected advice.
“Maybe it’s your thing, maybe it’s not, but during COVID-19 wearing a face covering that covers your nose is a good way to add a layer of protection during sex,” reads the <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/imm/covid-sex-guidance.pdf">document</a>. “Heavy breathing and panting can spread the virus further, and if you or your partner have COVID-19 and don’t know it, a mask can help stop that spread.”
“Make it a little kinky. Be creative with sexual positions and physical barriers, like walls, that allow sexual contact while preventing close face to face contact,” reads another part of the document.
While the guidelines emphasize “you should have sex only with people close to you,” anyone who decides to buck this suggestion should “have as few partners as possible and pick partners you trust.” The document also appears to issue guidance for engaging in sexual activity with more than one other person, referring to more than two people present at a given time as “a crowd.”
However, the document also shares some more standard public health advice such as washing your hands and avoiding interacting with others if you feel unwell, if you&#8217;ve been experiencing symptoms associated with coronavirus, or have been exposed to someone with coronavirus.
While the document does not contain any pictures, the Oregon Health Authority previously co-oped the old rendition of the guidelines into a one-page cheat sheet that included graphics and emojis.
“At a time when Oregonians are spending more time than ever at home, we imagine you may be wondering ‘Is it still safe to have sex?’” asked the health department. “In short – Yes. You can still have sex but with precautions. Here are some tips on practicing safe sex during this time.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
At a time when Oregonians are spending more time than ever at home, we imagine you may be wondering “Is it still safe to have sex?”
In short – Yes. You can still have sex but with precautions. Here are some tips on practicing safe sex during this time. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sexed?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sexed</a> <a href="https://t.co/mjUPQPZitk">pic.twitter.com/mjUPQPZitk</a>
— OR Health Authority (@OHAOregon) <a href="https://twitter.com/OHAOregon/status/1247931039256842244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2020</a></blockquote>
After the original guidelines were published earlier this year, the New York City department of health told <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/olivianiland/new-york-city-safe-sex-guide-masturbation">Buzzfeed News</a> that the precautions were designed to assure people that their love lives didn’t have to be put on hold because of the coronavirus.
“We certainly want people to know that yes, it’s ok to have sex, and encourage them to be aware of the risks and ways to protect themselves,” said the New York City health department.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Couple in bed

NYC’s Latest Safe Sex Guidelines: Wear Masks, ‘Be Creative’ With Physical Barriers ‘Like Walls’

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged to cut funding to police in the wake of mass protests and violent riots over allegations of police brutality and systemic racism.
The New York Police Department has an annual budget of $6 billion. De Blasio, a Democrat, said he would redirect a percentage of the funds toward social programs, though he declined to say how much or designate which programs would receive additional funding, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/07/nyregion/deblasio-nypd-funding.html">The New York Times</a>.
“We’re committed to seeing a shift of funding to youth services, to social services, that will happen literally in the course of the next three weeks, but I’m not going to go into detail because it is subject to negotiation and we want to figure out what makes sense,” the mayor said on Sunday.
For over a week, protesters have crowded the streets of New York City amid a pandemic demanding justice for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/george-floyd-brother-urges-peace-says-message-getting-lost-in-rioting-my-brother-was-about-peace">George Floyd</a>, a black man who died on May 25 while in police custody in Minneapolis, and others. Many of the protests have turned violent, forcing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to call in National Guard units to supplement police officers and crack down on rioters and looters.
Hundreds of officers have been injured attempting to restore peace to the city, and Sunday’s announcement has added further strain to de Blasio’s already fragile relationship with the city’s police force. Police officers famously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cops-turn-their-backs-mayor-de-blasio-funeral-amanda-prestigiacomo">turned</a> their backs on the mayor when he attended the funeral for a New York City police officer assassinated while sitting in his police cruiser in July 2017.
On Saturday, the head of the New York police captains’ union slammed unnamed “elected officials” for putting law enforcement in a difficult position, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/06/nypd-captains-union-head-blasts-elected-officials-in-email/">New York Post</a>.
“They do not have your back and will use you as a political pawn!” Captains’ Endowment Association President Chris Monahan said in a letter to union members. “My assessment is ‘Hands off the protester/looter you will be assaulted by them. Hands on the protester/looter you will be assaulted by our elected officials.’ BE CAREFUL!”
Another police union president Ed Mullins expressed doubt that the mayor would follow through on his pledge to cut the police force.
“I know he just recently said that he wasn’t going to do that,” Mullins, head of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, told The New York Times. “I guess, let’s see what he says on Monday and what his next decision is going to be.”
Days before announcing the pledged reforms, de Blasio <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/05/de-blasio-defends-police-amid-calls-to-slash-nypd-budget/">defended</a> the police department against calls to cut its budget.
“I do not believe it’s a good idea to reduce the budget of the agency that’s here to keep us safe,” the mayor said on Friday during a City Hall press briefing.
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

‘Defund The Police’? De Blasio Vows To Shift Funds Away From NYPD After Violent Riots

Law Enforcement

Race

A protester in New York City who appeared on Fox News on live television Saturday afternoon appeared to threaten to burn down the Diamond District in New York City if top Democratic leaders in the state do not meet the demands of the protesters.
&#8220;You know, I&#8217;m a leader of this FTP movement,&#8221; the man began. &#8220;It means a lot of things. It can mean free the people, it can mean for the people, it could also mean fire to property – and that&#8217;s very possible.&#8221;
&#8220;Today, I&#8217;m leading a demonstration from Barclay&#8217;s Center at 6 p.m. to City Hall, and that&#8217;s the first stop – and we&#8217;re hoping [New York City Mayor Bill] De Blasio and [New York Governor Andrew] Cuomo come out and talk to us and give the youth some direction,&#8221; the man continued. &#8220;But if they don&#8217;t, then [the] next stop is the Diamond District. And gasoline, thanks to Trump, is awfully cheap. So we&#8217;re giving them a chance right now to do the right thing.&#8221;
Fox News host Eric Shawn condemned the remarks that were made on live television, saying, “Those are outrageous words to say. Basically that person was basically suggesting that they plan to go to the diamond district, which is run basically by Orthodox Jews here in New York City – certainly hope that is not the case and we do not endorse – in fact, we condemn that type of language here on the Fox News channel. Someone saying that certainly should be called out in terms of any type of potential threat of any sort that we just heard live from someone who interviewed here on this channel.”
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A protester in New York made a threat *on live tv* to go down to the ‘Diamond District’ in New York with gasoline if they don’t get want they want from state and local officials. Fox News <a href="https://twitter.com/EricShawnTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EricShawnTV</a> was not pleased and called him out… <a href="https://t.co/dgt7p4buzG">pic.twitter.com/dgt7p4buzG</a>
&mdash; johnny dollar (@johnnydollar01) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnnydollar01/status/1269351912840839169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Political commentators and lawmakers expressed disgust over the comments and suggested that more law enforcement was needed in the area to help maintain safety.
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) wrote on Twitter: &#8220;This is a disgusting threat and exactly why the National Guard should already have been sent to NYC days ago to back up the NYPD and help maintain order.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is a disgusting threat and exactly why the National Guard should already have been sent to NYC days ago to back up the NYPD and help maintain order.<a href="https://t.co/OZlaSeFzMa">pic.twitter.com/OZlaSeFzMa</a>
&mdash; Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLeeZeldin/status/1269380335357308928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
New York Post Editor Sohrab Ahmari tweeted: &#8220;Live on Fox, a BLM leader just threatened to burn down New York’s Diamond District. If Blas and Cuo don’t engage with us, he said, we will head to the Diamond District, &#8216;and thanks to President Trump, gasoline is cheap.&#8217; This is dead-serious. It’s time for a decisive crackdown.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Live on Fox, a BLM leader just threatened to burn down New York’s Diamond District. If Blas and Cuo don’t engage with us, he said, we will head to the Diamond District, “and thanks to President Trump, gasoline is cheap.”
This is dead-serious. It’s time for a decisive crackdown.
&mdash; Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) <a href="https://twitter.com/SohrabAhmari/status/1269350127937912832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fox News contributor Guy Benson wrote: &#8220;Wow. That’s a straight up criminal threat on national television. Also, is there not a very ugly subtext to singling out nyc’s diamond district for destruction?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Wow. That’s a straight up criminal threat on national television. Also, is there not a very ugly subtext to singling out nyc’s diamond district for destruction? <a href="https://t.co/RceRVWRfns">https://t.co/RceRVWRfns</a>
&mdash; Guy Benson (@guypbenson) <a href="https://twitter.com/guypbenson/status/1269365989692637185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway wrote: &#8220;FWIW, the man who on live TV issued the threat to burn down the Diamond District in NYC tonight unless his demands were met identified himself as &#8216;Ace Burns 2020.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
FWIW, the man who on live TV issued the threat to burn down the Diamond District in NYC tonight unless his demands were met identified himself as &quot;Ace Burns 2020.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/y2cORXB1LS">https://t.co/y2cORXB1LS</a>
&mdash; Mollie (@MZHemingway) <a href="https://twitter.com/MZHemingway/status/1269358122856054785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
National Journal Politics Editor Josh Kraushaar wrote: &#8220;Anti-Semitism at its worst.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Anti-Semitism at its worst. <a href="https://t.co/1KK0bEvKSc">https://t.co/1KK0bEvKSc</a>
&mdash; Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) <a href="https://twitter.com/HotlineJosh/status/1269366708344668162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member.</a>

Man On Fox News

Protester In New York City Appears To Threaten To Burn Down The Diamond District If Leaders Do Not Meet Demands

protesters

Three police officers were injured in Brooklyn Wednesday night after what New York Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea described as a &#8220;complete cowardly, despicable, unprovoked attack,&#8221; in which the suspect &#8220;casually&#8221; approached an officer and stabbed him in the neck. Two responding officers were then shot — one in the hand and one in the arm — when the suspect allegedly attempted to wrestle a gun from an officer. While the three officers are expected to recover, the suspect is reportedly in critical condition.
At a <a href="https://www.pscp.tv/w/1BdGYQZWkEyGX">press conference</a> Wednesday night, embattled New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio — whose handling of the riots has been strongly criticized by many, including fellow Democrat New York Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/de-blasio-demands-cuomo-apologize-to-nypd-police-union-blasts-both-for-feud">Andrew Cuomo</a> — opened by announcing that all three officers involved are expected to recover.
&#8220;A number of the officers came to their aid,&#8221; said the mayor. &#8220;It&#8217;s another example of what it means every day for men and women of the NYPD to protect all of us, to protect our communities no matter what is happening, the bravery they show constantly. Thank God, in this very, very challenging situation &#8230;. our officers came through safely.&#8221;
The mayor then introduced Commissioner Shea to provide some details on the attack. Shea did not mince words.
&#8220;It appears to be a complete cowardly, despicable, unprovoked attack on a defenseless police officer,&#8221; said Commissioner Shea. The violence, said Shea, &#8220;has to stop.&#8221;
Before describing the incident, Shea made a point of highlighting two prior instances of attacks on officers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-officers-hit-by-cars-shot-beaten-in-numerous-cities-on-monday-night-amid-violent-riots">caught on video</a>: a rioter running over an officer with a vehicle and another attack &#8220;by a coward, from behind,&#8221; who &#8220;attempted to bash [an officer&#8217;s] skull in.&#8221; In those instances, he said, &#8220;our cops were arresting looters and other violent demonstrators.&#8221;
The most recent attack, Shea explained, occurred late Wednesday night in 70th precinct in Brooklyn, where officers were assigned to an &#8220;anti-looting&#8221; post, attempting to stop criminals from breaking into stores.
At around 11:45 p.m. on Church Avenue near Flatbush Avenue, the officers posted in the precinct were approached by a suspect who walked up &#8220;casually&#8221; but then suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed an officer in the neck.
&#8220;Video surveillance shows the suspect walk up to the officers casually, take out a knife and stab one of the officers in the neck,&#8221; said Shea. &#8220;That officer was stabbed in the left side of his neck —thank God, missing an artery — and he&#8217;s recovering here in stable condition at the hospital.&#8221;
&#8220;Several cops responded to the scene and one pulled his firearm,&#8221; the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/04/nypd-cops-shot-in-confrontation-with-suspect-in-brooklyn/">New York Post</a> reports. &#8220;The officer and the suspect then struggled for the weapon, which went off striking one officer in the hand and another in the arm.&#8221;
At that point, a sergeant arrived and fired on the suspect, who was taken into custody and listed in critical condition.
A photograph of what is reportedly the knife the attacker used to stab the officer was posted online by <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/06/04/police-involved-shooting-flatbush-brooklyn/">CBS New York</a>&#8216;s Dan Verello:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
JUST IN: <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYPDnews</a> releases photo of a suspect&#39;s knife recovered at a &quot;chaotic&quot; overnight scene in Flatbush&#8230; 1 officer stabbed, 2 officers and 1 suspect shot. <a href="https://twitter.com/NYPDShea?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYPDShea</a> says officers expected to be okay. <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnBDias?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JohnBDias</a> will have the latest all morning from Brooklyn on <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNewYork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CBSNewYork</a> <a href="https://t.co/lsQFVs0J00">pic.twitter.com/lsQFVs0J00</a>
&mdash; Dan Verello (@DVerello) <a href="https://twitter.com/DVerello/status/1268465037787701250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In his opening comments, de Blasio called for unity, saying we that &#8220;no matter how much is thrown at us, the coronavirus and everything else, we have to find a way to come together and move forward.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/de-blasio-demands-cuomo-apologize-to-nypd-police-union-blasts-both-for-feud">De Blasio Demands Cuomo Apologize To NYPD, Police Union Blasts Both For Feud</a>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

NYPD

NYC Cop Stabbed In Neck In ‘Cowardly, Despicable, Unprovoked Attack’; Responding Cops Shot In Struggle With Suspect

George Floyd

On Wednesday at a press conference, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has hogtied the city’s police force in dealing with violent rioters and looters but has felt free to use them to target religious communities, quoted a favorite song of his as he fiddled while New York burned: John Lennon’s ode to unicorns and rainbows that also eviscerates religion: “Imagine.”
As the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/06/03/bill-de-blasios-singing-imagine-while-his-citys-in-flames/">New York Post</a> reported:
<blockquote>In his final hours, in a boarded-up New York City, de Blasio rhapsodized over John Lennon’s “Imagine” at a press conference. “I don’t mean to make light of this, but I’m reminded of the song ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon,” he said. “We played it at my inauguration. I think everyone who hears that song in its fullness thinks about a world where people got along differently. . . . About a world where we didn’t live with a lot of the restrictions that we live with now.”</blockquote>
The Post cited some reactions on social media, including, “I can’t believe how dumb this motherf *** er is.” “Impeach him.” “What a parody of a mayor, God help us.” “I imagine him resigning.”
De Blasio doesn’t have to “imagine” this reality: New York Police Lt. Jorge Rodriguez said his head was clubbed so violently by a rioter that, “It felt like I got shot. This was a riot. We were fighting for our lives. They were throwing rocks, bottles, vacuum cleaners. They threw a moped at us.”
Or this reality: “Cellphone video circulating on social media showed a sergeant struck at the intersection of Walton Avenue and East 170th Street in Tremont,” <a href="https://abc7ny.com/nypd-officers-attacked-amid-looting-violence-in-bronx/6226470/">ABC News</a> reported. The sergeant was struck by a fast-moving vehicle.
Or this from ABC: “An officer was assaulted in front of a Claire&#8217;s store on East Fordham Road and East Tiebout Avenue. The attack was caught on camera, and the video was posted on the Sergeants Benevolent Association&#8217;s Twitter account.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NYPD Cop attacked in the Bronx. I guess the critics will now say he overreacted. NYPD Cops defend yourselves, you are alone! <a href="https://t.co/424w5bZbC6">pic.twitter.com/424w5bZbC6</a>
&mdash; SBA (@SBANYPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBANYPD/status/1267653351740772352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/de-blasio-demands-cop-be-fired-for-pulling-gun-on-crowd-in-viral-video-then-the-full-video-comes-out?%3Futm_source=twitter">highlighted</a> earlier this week, de Blasio demanded on Monday that a police officer be fired after a clipped video showed him pulling a gun in front of crowd. The officer should have &#8220;his gun and badge taken away today,&#8221; the mayor declared. &#8220;However, hours after de Blasio made the remarks, additional video footage surfaced that showed that the police officer was responding to his supervisor being struck in the back of the head by a violent rioter — something that was left out of the initial video clip that went viral,&#8221; The Daily Wire reported.
For those unfamiliar with &#8220;Imagine,&#8221; here are some of the lyrics of the song de Blasio has repeatedly promoted:
<blockquote>Imagine there&#8217;s no heaven 
It&#8217;s easy if you try
Imagine there&#8217;s no countries 
It isn&#8217;t hard to do 
Nothing to kill or die for 
And no religion too</blockquote>
In late April, de Blasio singled out the Jewish community in New York, tweeting, &#8220;My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed. I have instructed the NYPD to proceed immediately to summons or even arrest those who gather in large groups. This is about stopping this disease and saving lives. Period.
&mdash; Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) <a href="https://twitter.com/NYCMayor/status/1255309615883063297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Daily Wire, headed by bestselling author and popular podcast host Ben Shapiro, is a leading provider of conservative news, cutting through the mainstream media’s rhetoric to provide readers the most important, relevant, and engaging stories of the day. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

Menu

New York City

De Blasio Suggests Ban On Public Gatherings Like Parades Or Fairs. Black Lives Matter Protests Are Different.

Vandals Hack Down 9/11 Memorial Flagpole In New York Village

De Blasio Calls NYC City Hall Protests ‘Vile’ But Won’t Break Up ‘Autonomous Zone’

WATCH: Asked About Abolishing Police, White And Black New Yorkers Have Very Different Responses

Disturbing Video Shows Sleeping Homeless Person Attacked With Fireworks By Laughing Man

‘Defund The Police’: NYC Shootings EXPLODE Amid Disbanding Of Anti-Crime Units, Reassignment Of Hundreds Of Officers

Bill De Blasio Pledges To Crack Down On Fireworks Amid Post-Coronavirus Peak In Violent Crime

‘Worrisome’: NYC Hires 3,000 People For Contact Tracing, But Finds Most People Won’t Cooperate

New York City Museum Taking Down Statue Of President Theodore Roosevelt

A ‘Noose’ Was Found In A Harlem Park. NYPD Hate Crimes Unit Investigates, Discovers Innocent Origins.

Registered Sex Offender Had 60-100 Prior Arrests, Then Shoved Woman, 92, So Her Head Hit Fire Hydrant

NYC Blocks Coronavirus Contact Tracers From Asking About Protests

NYC Workers Welded Gates Shut At Children’s Park. Residents Rose Up, Took Back Playground.

NY State Lawmaker Pledges To ‘Cut Off The Chains’ And Open Playgrounds If Mayor De Blasio Doesn’t Drop Ban

Cuomo Warns New Yorkers Of Second Lockdown Over Restaurants, Bars, Ignores Massive Brooklyn Protest

NYC’s Latest Safe Sex Guidelines: Wear Masks, ‘Be Creative’ With Physical Barriers ‘Like Walls’

‘Defund The Police’? De Blasio Vows To Shift Funds Away From NYPD After Violent Riots

Protester In New York City Appears To Threaten To Burn Down The Diamond District If Leaders Do Not Meet Demands

NYC Cop Stabbed In Neck In ‘Cowardly, Despicable, Unprovoked Attack’; Responding Cops Shot In Struggle With Suspect

While NYC Burns, De Blasio Enthuses Over Lennon’s ‘Imagine’

Menu

New York City

De Blasio Suggests Ban On Public Gatherings Like Parades Or Fairs. Black Lives Matter Protests Are Different.

Vandals Hack Down 9/11 Memorial Flagpole In New York Village

De Blasio Calls NYC City Hall Protests ‘Vile’ But Won’t Break Up ‘Autonomous Zone’

WATCH: Asked About Abolishing Police, White And Black New Yorkers Have Very Different Responses

Disturbing Video Shows Sleeping Homeless Person Attacked With Fireworks By Laughing Man

‘Defund The Police’: NYC Shootings EXPLODE Amid Disbanding Of Anti-Crime Units, Reassignment Of Hundreds Of Officers

Bill De Blasio Pledges To Crack Down On Fireworks Amid Post-Coronavirus Peak In Violent Crime

‘Worrisome’: NYC Hires 3,000 People For Contact Tracing, But Finds Most People Won’t Cooperate

New York City Museum Taking Down Statue Of President Theodore Roosevelt

A ‘Noose’ Was Found In A Harlem Park. NYPD Hate Crimes Unit Investigates, Discovers Innocent Origins.

Registered Sex Offender Had 60-100 Prior Arrests, Then Shoved Woman, 92, So Her Head Hit Fire Hydrant

NYC Blocks Coronavirus Contact Tracers From Asking About Protests

NYC Workers Welded Gates Shut At Children’s Park. Residents Rose Up, Took Back Playground.

NY State Lawmaker Pledges To ‘Cut Off The Chains’ And Open Playgrounds If Mayor De Blasio Doesn’t Drop Ban

Cuomo Warns New Yorkers Of Second Lockdown Over Restaurants, Bars, Ignores Massive Brooklyn Protest

NYC’s Latest Safe Sex Guidelines: Wear Masks, ‘Be Creative’ With Physical Barriers ‘Like Walls’

‘Defund The Police’? De Blasio Vows To Shift Funds Away From NYPD After Violent Riots

Protester In New York City Appears To Threaten To Burn Down The Diamond District If Leaders Do Not Meet Demands

NYC Cop Stabbed In Neck In ‘Cowardly, Despicable, Unprovoked Attack’; Responding Cops Shot In Struggle With Suspect

While NYC Burns, De Blasio Enthuses Over Lennon’s ‘Imagine’

Don't miss a beat of our coverage.