De Blasio Extends Curfew, Rejects Calling The National Guard To New York City

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio extended a citywide curfew through the rest of the week but rejected President Donald Trump’s suggestion of calling in the National Guard to quell looting and other disorder.

Speaking during a news conference Tuesday, the mayor said that the curfew will be in effect daily from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. following another night of unrest in the city. Monday’s mayhem was largely concentrated in midtown Manhattan and the Bronx, authorities said, with at least 700 arrests amid looting and attacks on police officers.

“If you choose to protest today, do it in the daytime hours, and then please go home because we have work to do this evening to keep a peaceful city,” de Blasio said.

Trump has urged leaders across the country to call in the National Guard to control unruly protests. He singled out New York City as needing military force in tweets Tuesday, writing in one, “NYC, CALL UP THE NATIONAL GUARD. The lowlifes and losers are ripping you apart.”

But de Blasio, a Democrat, said the city does not need “nor do we think it’s wise” for the National Guard to assist. He said that “someone needs a history lesson” because past examples including the civil rights movement show that no good comes of bringing in “outside armed forces.”

“They’re not trained for the circumstance here,” the mayor said. “They have not been spending decades working on the relationship between police and community, particularly in the intense way it’s been worked on in recent years.”

(c) 2020, The Washington Post · Brittany Shammas  

{Matzav.com}