Only hours after Donald Trump was elected as the 45th president of these United States, our mayor, Bill de Blasio warned the president-elect that NYC won’t stop protecting imigrants, and welcoming people of all sexual, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
Speaking from City hall, the Mayor made it clear that a Trump Presidency wouldn’t change the core values that live in the heart of NYC. De Blasio said:
“Like millions of New Yorkers, I’m deeply disappointed by the results of this election. But I’m equally dedicated to our democracy and determined to preserve the values our city cherishes, […] I congratulate the New Yorker who won the election, Donald Trump, and I honor the New Yorker who won our city’s vote and the popular vote nationally, Hillary Clinton. I call on all New Yorkers to move forward together, resolute and determined to protect and preserve the city we love and the values we cherish,”
Mayor de Blasio’s remarks are in relation to comments that President-elect Trump made during the presidential campaign: Building a wall to keep Mexicans out, calling some Mexicans rapists, referring to African-American inner-city neighborhoods as places “you get shot walking to the store” in the last debate, and finally, his plans for “extreme vetting” of Muslim immigrants. De Blasio said:
“New York believes in liberty. We stand behind Lady Liberty with open arms to welcome immigrants and refugees. We always have and we always will. New York believes in tolerance. We want to show the world that live and let live is the best policy. We embrace civil rights. We uplift diversity. We always have and we always will, […] These are the values that New Yorkers share and these values have never been dependent on any one person or any one office.”
So we can rest easy that NYC is not going to change. After the protests we witnessed on the streets on NYC yesterday, de Blasio’s remarks can serve as some measure of reassurance to those New Yorkers that find themselves disenfranchised by the election.
Featured image source – (Photo: Rob Bennett/NYC Mayor’s Office) [via observer]