NEW YORK - The angry protests over the brutal death of George Floyd are continuing worldwide, including closing down the "Crossroads of the World," New York's Times Square. Carrying signs and banners demanding justice, thousands of demonstrators vented their collective disdain for police brutality.
NEW YORK - Sparked by the violent death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Rev. Al Sharpton today led a demonstration in New York calling for legislation to hold police more accountable during protests, violence and looting.
Rev. Al Sharpton today hailed Gov. Andrew Cuomo's signature to a series of police reforms. He sat alongside Cuomo at the signing ceremony. Sharpton said the move "raised the bar." The executive order requires mayors and police departments to modernize their programs or risk losing state aid. Cuomo said "there is no quick fix to this. There is no stop tear gas, change the uniforms." Also at the signing were the mothers of Eric Garner and Sean Bell.
NEW YORK - NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio participated in a Black Lives Matter street painting on Staten Island to announce the Big Apple will recognize Juneteenth as an official city holiday to recognize the liberation of the last freed Black slave. "We will give this day the importance and recognition it deserves," said de Blasio, adding "every student and city worker will have the opportunity to reflect on the meaning of our history through the pain and struggle that should bring an extraordinary purposefulness and vision to inspire change."
NEW YORK - Since the death of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter campaign has achieved some success, and today BLM protestors demanded that NY cut $1 billion from the $6 billion police budget. At a demonstration at City Hall, some of the participants even went so far as to call for the abolishment of the police department. A number of the BLM protestors stated they will stay at City Hall until their demands are met.