Do not trust your own eyes if you see a NYPD officer violently arresting a protester, seemingly for no reason.
That was Mayor Bill de Blasio’s response on Friday to a series of direct questions about reports that uniformed officers pushed with excessive force while detaining protesters in Manhattan.
Multiple videos, as well as accounts from reporters covering Thursday night’s transgender rights march from Stonewall Inn, indicate that New York Police officers used bicycles to push protesters, including the ombudsman, Jumaane Williams. Gothamist reported that the uniformed officers had randomly arrested people.
De Blasio said the police should respect the peaceful protests, but largely rejected reports and videos of violence.
“I’ve been in this kind of post-action discussion long enough to know that what you see in front of your eyes is not always the whole story, including what someone did over the course of a night or if they have guns on their person and they believe that they are about to use them, “the president said on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show.
Thursday’s clashes are similar to those on Wednesday, when violent interactions by police and protesters were reported. NYPD officials reported that some dissidents set garbage cans on fire and appeared to be armed.
De Blasio affirmed that this year he witnessed the new phenomenon of some protesters seeking to hijack peaceful protests and commit acts of violence.
Several people who called Lehrer during the show pointed out that the Thursday night protest appeared to be peaceful and yet faced a large armed police response.
De Blasio condemned the practice, saying that NYPD cops should avoid violent tactics against peaceful protesters.
“You should never use more force than necessary,” he said.
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