New York Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks at a news conference at Woodhull Hospital about the two New York Police officers that were shot dead in the Brooklyn borough of New York, December 20, 2014. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith
“It’s time for everyone to put aside political debates, put aside protests, put aside all of the things that we will talk about in due time,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a speech today. “That can be for another day.”
The mayor’s request–or was it a command?–followed a statement by police commissioner Bill Bratton that the killing of two police officers on Saturday by a man with a long history of violence and mental illness was a “direct spinoff of this issue.”
By “this issue,” he means protests around the country protesting a series of high-profile killings of innocent and unarmed black men, teens, and children by police. In none of those recent cases has a law enforcement officer been charged with a crime.
When police officers are murdered, it tears at the foundation of our society. This heinous attack was an attack on our entire city.
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) December 21, 2014
"Put aside protests. Put aside demonstrations until these funerals are passed." – Mayor @BilldeBlasio. Watch: http://t.co/10woiev32p.
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) December 22, 2014
"This is a time for every New Yorker to think about these families…put them first." – Mayor @BilldeBlasio. Live on http://t.co/10woiev32p.
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) December 22, 2014