Peaceful protest demonstration against police brutality demanding justice for George Floyd at Union Square, Manhattan during the day. Armed policemen. Manhattan, New York, USA – June 4, 2020 (Shutterstock)
New York, NY—Today, the New York Immigration Coalition, Until Freedom, and New York Communities for Change released a blistering ad targeting the responses of Mayor Blasio and Governor Cuomo to protests that began late last month in New York City. The video features footage of NYPD officers shoving demonstrators, hitting them with their batons and ramming one group with a police cruiser juxtaposed with comments from the two politicians denying that peaceful protesters were subjected to violent police tactics. The NYIC is supporting the Safer NY Act, a package of bills that includes the repeal of a statute known as 50-a, which shields the disciplinary records of officers and is also calling on the city to cut the NYPD’s $6 billion budget by $1 billion.
After the release of the ad, Steve Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition, issued the following statement: