Council Member Robert Holden (Facebook)
June 2, 2020 By Allie Griffin
A Glendale Council Member is calling for the National Guard to be deployed in New York City after looters shattered storefront windows and took off with merchandise for a second night in a row.
Council Member Robert Holden said the National Guard should be deployed to control the chaos which has enfolded in New York City in the past few days after protesters have flooded streets across the five boroughs to condemn the police killing of George Floyd.
Burnt-out police cars, shattered glass and stolen products have littered city streets after looters and rioters stirred up trouble following mostly peaceful protests — but Mayor Bill de Blasio said today he has no plans to deploy the National Guard.
“The National Guard should not be brought here,” de Blasio said at a press conference this morning. “We have 36,000 police officers. They are the best equipped to deal with this situation.”
However, Holden says the NYPD officers are overwhelmed.
“Our men and women in the NYPD are overwhelmed, with several of them being crowded by rioters in their vehicles, or having bricks and Molotov cocktails thrown at them,” he said in a statement. “While Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio sit in their secured ivory towers playing politics, our great city is burning; the final stage of de Blasio’s policies bringing us back to the 1970’s.”
Last night, one officer was struck by a hit-and-run car and another lone officer was beat as looters roomed the Bronx. People threw molotov cocktails into both occupied and unoccupied NYPD vehicles at least twice over the weekend.
“It is time that we take back our streets, and that our police officers are given the support they need to deal with the anarchists who have taken advantage of peaceful protests,” Holden continued.
“Governor Cuomo has said that the National Guard is ready, but Mayor de Blasio refuses to ask for their help while also admitting that the NYPD is stretched thin and cannot stop all incidents of looting. We need the mayor to stop pandering to political correctness and allow the National Guard to help New York City regain control.”
De Blasio said members of the National Guard do not know New York City like members of the NYPD do and could cause more harm than good.
“A National Guard – a member of the guard called up from any part of this state doesn’t have that particular training, doesn’t know our environment, but is carrying a loaded weapon,” he said. “That is a bad scenario.”
He said armed officers who are from outside the city could cause more unrest between law enforcement and protesters.
Several instances of NYPD officers using excessive force with protesters have already come under fire and many are being investigated.
In one instance, an officer shoved a young woman to the ground, causing her to suffer a concussion and seizure. Officers have also been seen waving a gun around at protesters, plowing into a crowd with a NYPD car and charging at protesters indiscriminately.
