New York mayor refutes allegations that police adopting tougher strategy for protests
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio denied that the city had toughened its policing strategy in response to the riots in Baltimore after some lawmakers accused the city's police force of overly aggressive tactics in its handling of protests on Wednesday night.
During a series of marches across Manhattan to protest the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who suffered severe spinal injuries while in police custody in Baltimore, there were 143 arrests, mainly for obstructing traffic. Riots in Baltimore after Gray's funeral on Monday led to arson and looting, as well as injuries to about 20 police officers.
"The strategic approach is exactly the same," de Blasio told a news conference. "We won't tolerate illegality, we won't tolerate disorder. We will not allow the few to undermine the honest efforts of the many to express their views."
Some lawmakers had a different view.
