(New York) Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg apologized on Sunday for the policy of arbitrary arrests and searches (“stop-and-frisk”) of which he had so far been a staunch defender in the name of the fight against crime.
Posted on November 17, 2019 at 2:08 p.m.
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“I was wrong and I’m sorry,” said the billionaire speaking at a predominantly black church in Brooklyn, further reinforcing the idea that he is about to run for the White House. .
This position marks a spectacular 180-degree turn on the part of Mr. Bloomberg, who has always defended this very controversial police method, with many associations denouncing facial checks and unnecessary brutality.
“Over time, I came to understand something that I had trouble admitting for a long time: I was wrong on an important point,” he said. “Our central goal was to save lives. But the facts are there: far too many innocent people have been arrested and a vast majority of them were black or Latino ”.
“It may have included, I’m sorry to say, some of you who are here today, or your children, your grandchildren, your neighbors, your relatives,” he continued.
The 77-year-old former mayor has taken several steps in recent days towards a candidacy for the Democratic nomination, notably by registering as a candidate in the states of Alabama and Arkansas.
Founder of the financial information agency bearing his name, Mayor of New York from 2002 to 2013, Michael Bloomberg is one of the ten largest fortunes in the world, with more than $ 50 billion, according to the magazine Forbes.
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