The president of Black Lives Matter Greater New York, Hawk Newsome, is calling for Mayor Bill de Blasio to "resign immediately."
“Bill de Blasio has failed black New York time and time again. And it is my firm belief that if Bill de Blasio would've handled the Eric Garner murder correctly, then we wouldn't be in this,” Newsome said.
When running for mayor, de Blasio had promised a better relationship between police and New Yorkers. But in 2014, New Yorkers watched police put unarmed Garner in a chokehold and kill him. Massive protests erupted when no one was indicted for his death.
It took five years for the officer primarily responsible, Daniel Pantaleo, to be fired.
Newsome says better handling of the Garner case by de Blasio would’ve set a national precedent and standard. He spoke live on NY1’s One New York on Tuesday morning.
Recent protests in New York and across the country have been sparked by the killing of another black man, George Floyd, by police in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 25.
Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. He has since been fired and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, while three other officers involved have yet to be charged.
The protests sweeping the nation seeking justice for Floyd and against police brutality have brewed tension and violence more so than others in the past. Looting and destruction across the city have also ensued.
This has prompted the city of New York to instate a curfew, which is currently in place between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 5 a.m., and is effective through June 7.