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New York City mayor Bill de Blasio asked Monday (Dec. 22) that the citywide protests against police brutality be suspended in light of recent events. Mayor de Blasio has requested that the protests resume after the funerals of fallen NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.

After the shooting deaths of the officers carried out by troubled gunman Ismaaiyl Brinsley, tensions in the city between police officers and protesters have reached critical levels. Ahead of the shooting, a counter protest held last Friday at City Hall featured NYPD supporters wearing shirts mocking slain Staten Island man’s last words. With the Saturday shooting, Mayor de Blasio is searching for answers.

From Reuters:

De Blasio, a Democrat who has come under intense criticism from some police unions for his handling of protests over police killings of unarmed black men, asked the city to stand by families of the officers slain on Saturday.

“It’s a time for everyone to put aside political debates, put aside protests, put aside all of the things we will talk about in due time,” de Blasio said in a speech to a charity with close ties to the New York Police Department. “Let’s comfort these families, let’s see them through these funerals. Then debate can begin again.”

Response to the mayor’s request has been met with some resistance from supporters of Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and others who feel that police have overstepped their bounds of late. Police union officials and others have openly criticized Mayor de Blasio and blamed him for the environment in New York.

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[CBS New York]

Photo: CBS New York