On September 16, 1992 there was a rally in front of The New York City Hall attended by over 10,000 people including NYC Policemen and their supporters. They were angry with Mayor David Dinkins because of comments he had made about the police investigation into the murder, by NYC Cops of an alleged South Bronx Drug Dealer, Jose Garcia. The issue was seized by mayoral candidate, Rudy Giuliani who gave an incendiary racist speech which in its aftermath left a crowd of empowered out of control crazed racist beer swilling cops. Dinkins, the first black mayor of New York, was called a washroom attendant and the police attacked City Hall and shut down lower Manhattan and closed the Brooklyn Bridge. This by all accounts was a violent, racist attack on the elected civil government of New York City.
Read the account of the riot and the after math here. Read the assessment of Rudy Giuliani and his behavior by a number of eye witnesses and commentators here.
Yet, the video of Giuliani's speech was never broadcast on NYC Network Television. He was never charged with inciting a riot or a hate crime. He went on to win the Mayoral Election. Only 80 of the thousands of rioting police officers were ever identified and less charged. In light of the actions against the peaceful protests occurring in Manhattan now, you have to ask the classic question:
Who is policing the police?
I ask this question after learning that just before the Occupation started,a number of banks including Chase and Citibank made the largest donations ever to the NYC Police Foundation in an attempt
to enhance security.
to enhance security.
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