New York BLM leader warns Eric Adams of 'bloodshed,' 'riots' if city brings back tougher policing
Adams calls himself a progressive but rejected mantras to 'defund the police'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The head of Black Lives Matter of Greater New York met with Eric Adams, the city’s mayor-elect, to discuss policing and warned that there will be "bloodshed" if the city returns to its pre-De Blasio model, according to a report.
Adams, himself a former police captain, on Wednesday met with Hawk Newsome, the BLM leader, and others behind closed doors at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall, the New York Daily News reported.
The meeting was tense and turned into a shouting match, the paper reported. One of the key issues raised was the possibility that the city could reinstate its anti-crime unit, which Newsome compared to the Nazi Gestapo.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police take measures as protesters gather at New York City's Bryant Park and march through streets in memory of George Floyd on the first day of the trial for former Minneapolis police offices Derek Chauvin on March 08, 2021. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) (Getty )
"If he thinks that they’re going to go back to the old ways of policing, then we are going to take to the streets again. There will be riots, there will be fire and there will be bloodshed because we believe in defending our people," Newsome told the paper. He said that the group prays for peace but prepares "for the worst."
Eric Adams attends the Mayor Elect Eric Adams Celebration Party at Zero Bond on November 02, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Haute Living) (Getty)
Adams’ campaign and Newsome's group did not immediately respond to after-hours emails from Fox News. Chivona Newsome, a co-founder of the group and Hawk’s sister, told the paper, "We will shut down City Hall, and we will give him hell and make it a nightmare."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Adams was an officer who gained early attention for speaking critically about the department he served in, and as someone who experienced police brutality as a teen. At age 15, he said, he was beaten by police officers when he was arrested for trespassing.
He rejected progressive mantras to "defund the police," and said he was proud of his time in the department. Though seen as the moderate candidate in the crowded Democratic primary, one who offered a business-friendly approach, Adams has rejected the label and maintains he is a progressive.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report