The Daily News and New York Post fixed the number at hundreds, while the AP said it was thousands. Whichever estimate was right, it is indisputable that many of New York’s Finest turned their backs again on Mayor Bill de Blasio as he spoke Sunday at Officer Wenjian Liu’s funeral.
This time, the men in blue also ostracized Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, who had sent out an internal memorandum Friday, warning them not to repeat their disrespectful behavior toward de Blasio or anyone that they believe contributed to the anti-police sentiment sweeping the nation, and especially in black communities.
Last Saturday, the New York City Police Department buried a hero. Tens of thousands of officers from our department and hundreds of other departments came to show respect for Detective First Grade Rafael Ramos. His family witnessed the kind of love that only his second family in blue could display. But for the last seven days, the city’s and the country’s consciousness of that funeral has focused on an act of disrespect shown by a portion of those tens of thousands of officers. It was not all the officers, and it was not disrespect directed at Detective Ramos, but all the officers were painted by it. And it stole the valor, honor, and attention that rightfully belonged to the memory of Detective Rafael Ramos’s life and sacrifice. That was not the intent, I know, but it was the result.
Bratton is a good man, trying to protect his boss, but just as the protesters marching through the city have the right to peaceful protest, so do the police have that right:
As de Blasio takes the podium at Wenjian Liu’s funeral, maybe half of the assembled cops turn their backs: pic.twitter.com/RiWcxZCN96
— Nick Pinto (@macfathom) January 4, 2015
Section of dozen or so #NYPD officers with backs turned on 65th St as Mayor de Blasio speaks at Officer Liu funeral pic.twitter.com/d4fJ4H8XZU — Joe Jackson (@joejackson) January 4, 2015
NYPD turns it’s backs on Mayor DeBlasio again. pic.twitter.com/wZY255p6Tf
— Anne Thompson (@annenbcnews) January 4, 2015
Meantime, it is clear that the rift between the police and the protesters who defame them is nowhere close to healing. From Weasel Zippers:
Protesters, people with the #Unite Blue hashtag, at least one #ReadyForHillary organizer are currently spamming twitter [sic] claiming that Officer Liu’s widow specifically asked the NYPD not to turn their backs on Mayor de Blasio at Officer Liu’s funeral.
Asked by Officer Liu’s family & @CommissBratton not to turn their backs on the Mayor this morning NYPD does it anyway pic.twitter.com/rQXCr79MRc
— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) January 4, 2015
#MyNYPD is disgraceful. Turning backs at mayor, despite officer Liu’s widow that they not protest at his funeral.
— Mona Eltahawy (@monaeltahawy) January 4, 2015
Yet no link to this supposed statement is linked in any of their tweets. Indeed, his widow just delivered a tremendously moving eulogy in which she specifically thanked the NYPD for their support and care for her family, and she is completely destroyed by loss of her soulmate. We have not found any media report supporting this claim.
Given that no one except protesters and progressive de Blasio supporters are actually claiming this, its veracity seems rather dubious.
Cross-posted at The Lid
