Planes Pulling Another Anti-De Blasio Message Fly Over Hudson River
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An aerial anti-Bill de Blasio campaign that began days after two NYPD officers were gunned down in Brooklyn is still flying high.
On Dec. 26, six days after Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were shot to death in their patrol car in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, a plane flying a banner that read, "De Blasio. Our Backs Have Turned To You," was seen flying above the Hudson.
The banner was reportedly funded by a group of retired police officers and detectives, "Retired NYPD for a Safe New York."
Today, new banners could be seen in the sky. They read, "De Blasio. You Failed All NY'ers. It's Time. Resign." And, "NY Support NYPD. Rest In Peace Dets Liu & Ramos."
The new banners are meant "to support the brave men and women protecting our streets while protesting the glaring, dangerous disregard that Mayor de Blasio demonstrates toward the realities of public safety," the group told the Daily News.
Police unions and de Blasio have been locked in a public battle over treatment of officers following a Staten Island grand jury's decision not to indict an officer in connection with Eric Garner's death.
After the Garner decision, de Blasio said he and his wife, Chirlane, have had to have painful conversations with their teenage son, Dante, about "how to take special care with any encounter he may have with police officers."
PBA President Patrick Lynch slammed the mayor's comments, saying "our city is safe because of police officers," adding de Blasio was "throwing them under the bus."
Bratton added that he did not agree with the claims from Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch that de Blasio had "blood on his hands" in the officer murders due to some remarks critical of police officers' actions.
"I don't share that perspective at all," the commissioner said.
The remarks came after the police unions demanded a public apology from de Blasio.
"The mayor needs to be humble. He needs to realize that his philosophical view of coming into the role of mayor of New York — although it's his personal view — is not the view of all 8 million people. And he needs to tone that in a different way; channel that in a different way, with some type of an apology," Sergeants' Benevolent Association President Edward Mullins told CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer.
Lynch and others have since blamed the deaths of Ramos and Liu on the mayor, saying their blood was on his hands.
Some officers turned their backs on de Blasio as he walked into the hospital following the officers' deaths. They did the same at the funerals of both slain officers, a move Police Commissioner Bratton called inappropriate.
On Monday, while discussing record on low crime stats in NYC, he called the back-turning action "selfish" and said the officers who did it "embarrassed themselves."
"You don't put on a uniform and go to a funeral and perform a political act," Bratton said.
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