New York City mayor Bill de Blasio (D.) told a reporter for a Jewish newspaper that “400 years of American racism” justify his decision to permit mass protests but not prayer services.
“Four hundred years of American racism, I’m sorry, that is not the same question as the understandably aggrieved store owner or the devout religious person who wants to go back to services,” de Blasio told Hamodia‘s Reuvain Borchardt.
Hamodia reporter asks why protest is allowed when prayer services aren’t.@NYCMayor @BilldeBlasio: “400 years of American racism, I’m sorry, that is not the same question as the understandably aggrieved store owner or the devout religious person who wants to go back to services”
— Matthew Chayes (@chayesmatthew) June 2, 2020
De Blasio said his allowances for the protesters and his curtailment of religious services did not amount to a double standard, and he criticized Borchardt for asking if his solidarity with the protesters affected his decision.
“I’m going to tell you that anyone who thinks there are different rules for different people, again, is not trying very hard to see the reality,” de Blasio said. “And I’m just not going to hold back. If you guys want to really work hard to miss the reality, be my guest.”
De Blasio was addressing the protests that have spread across the city in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis. The protests have been accompanied by several nights of violent looting, even as the coronavirus pandemic continues. – READ MORE
Listen to the insightful Thomas Paine Podcast Below --