'Thugs Will Be Thugs': New York City Mayor Heckled, Booed at Police Graduation

The 'teachers of some of these 'police' apparently taught them insubordination, thuggish behavior, and to be supporters of racism and brutality. Would you want them
to police your neighborhood?

Photo screen captured from YouTube video.

New York City mayor heckled, booed at police graduation

By Jonathan Allen and Sebastien Malo
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday drew heckles and boos along with applause when he addressed graduating police cadets on Monday, two days after thousands of uniformed officers turned their backs on him at a slain policeman's funeral.

The mayor's speech came as he struggles to mend the most toxic rift between police and City Hall in decades. The United States' biggest city has become a focal point in a national debate over the killings of unarmed black men by white police.

Some booed as the mayor began his address to 884 graduating cadets at Manhattan's Madison Square Garden arena, in which he warmly praised the Police Department.


"You will confront all the problems that plague our society," he told the new officers. "Problems that you didn't create."

A heckler cried out, "You created them!"

Some in the audience applauded and cheered the outburst. De Blasio, briefly flustered, continued with his speech, which closed to polite applause.

In the audience, a dozen or so people turned their backs on the mayor, repeating a gesture by thousands of officers from around the country at Saturday's funeral for Police Officer Rafael Ramos.

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