New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio today called on demonstrators who have taken to city streets in recent weeks to protest police brutality to delay any further marches until after the funerals of NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos. Liu and Ramos were murdered on Saturday in Brookyn in an unprovoked attack by a gunman who then committed suicide. From the Huffington Post:
“Organizations planning events or gatherings about politics or protests, that could be for another day,” the mayor said. “Let’s see them through the funerals, then debate can begin again. But until that time, it is our obligation to respect [the families].”
The Wall Street Journal says de Blasio and representatives of city police officers have reached a “detente” after a weekend in which Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association leader Patrick Lynch said the mayor was partly responsible for Liu and Ramos’ deaths. A PBA spokesperson told the Journal that the union will refrain from further public comment until after the slain officers’ funerals. A service for Ramos is planned for Saturday, while arrangements for Liu are still being made, the Journal says.
